TRIBAL GAMING IN TEXAS
ABIGAIL MEDINA REPORTS ON THE CHOCTAW NATION TRIBE AS IT MAKES A PUSH TO BECOME A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE EMERGING GAMING INDUSTRY IN THE LONE STAR STATE Everything is bigger in Texas
Introduction Sports betting is currently one of the fastest growing industries across the United States. New York, with its population of 19.4 million people, generates more tax dollars than most other US states? 1 Texas, with its population of 29 million people, is one of eleven states that hasn’t legalized sports betting; however, Texas is positioned to enter the industry and become a major player in the market. It is a matter of time before Texas joins the 38 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing gaming and sports betting. As such, multiple billionaires, gaming tycoons, and Indian tribes are preparing for the emerging Texas gaming market to explode. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma– the third largest Indian Nation in the United States – is a tribe that has taken various steps to prepare for the inevitable legalization of sports betting in Texas. 2 Analyzing the current state of political affairs in Texas as it pertains to gaming is important in understanding what the Texas market will look like in
the future. Additionally, a deeper inquiry into the Choctaw tribe’s partnerships and preparations, in anticipation of the legalization of gaming and sports betting in Texas, can assist in predicting the potential influence tribal gaming will have in the Lone Star State.
Texas’ Contentious History with Legalized Gaming
Historically, the Texas legislature has been hesitant to legalize statewide casino games. Texas’ approach to gambling and sports betting has been shaped by a conservative cultural and religious view and the impact that legalizing such activity can have on the public. Factors such as conservative and religious groups advocating against legalized gaming, fears of rampant gambling addiction, and the unknown impact that legalized gaming can have on Texans have all contributed to the current state of affairs. In addition to Texas’ conservative and religious
1 Kevin Keise, Sports Betting and Gaming Could Come to Texas, Texas Trend Mag. (Jan. 6, 2025), https://texastrendmag.com/2025/01/06/sports- betting-and-gaming-could-come-to-texas/. 2 500 Nations, Inc., Texas Casinos, https://www.500nations.com/Texas_Casinos.asp#20241231 (last visited Jan. 11, 2025).
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IMGL MAGAZINE | JULY 2023
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