The Future of Texas Sports Betting Continues to Hinge on This One Thing

With the future of Texas sports betting still hanging in limbo, policymakers and advocates are now trying to make sense of why. Though explanations vary, the crux of them hit on the same factor, almost always without fail.

That factor, the one many believe holds the fate of sports betting in Texas inside the palm of their hand? It is Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.  

Lieutenant Governor Patrick is being Spotlighted Following Another Texas Sports Betting Flop

While this emphasis on Lieutenant Governor Patrick’s influence is not necessarily new, the focus is being rekindled on the heels of yet another Texas sports betting flop. 

House t Resolution 134 (HJR 134) was the proposal with the most momentum at the start of 2025 state legislature meetings. Up until a couple of weeks ago, sports betting ers were hopeful that it would be the measure to finally make it over the hump. Alas, it’s not happening. Not this year, anyway. 

Lieutenant Governor Patrick continues to be among the primary reasons why. He is a staunch opponent of legal Texas sports betting, and he also has a ton of power over the Senate and its agenda. What’s more, he is expected to run for re-election, which means he might serve as a roadblock to the state’s next round of discussions. As Michael Lozano of Spectrum News 1 reports:

“But Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is a major obstacle in that reality. He has a final say in the state Senate and is against legalizing sports betting and gambling. With Patrick set to run for a fourth term, he could potentially remain a roadblock in two years. Chris Kratovil, a Dallas attorney for Dykema, says it’s an uphill battle. ‘Dan Patrick and many others, in the Republican leadership, in Austin, view gambling as a very destructive social force’ Kravotil noted. ‘It’s pernicious, and they want to keep it out of Texas.’”

Frustrations with Patrick are fair game. But the part of him and others concerned about unintended consequences is not without reason. 

Across the country, states that legalize sports betting report sizable upticks in problem gambling, and even in some cases, savings depletions and bankruptcies. That is a very real downside every state should do a better job of planning around.  

Sports Betting ers in The Lone Star State May Need Their Arguments to Evolve

Of course, ers of online sports betting in the United States maintain that the opposition is missing the mark. And they have plenty of data points to help explain why.  

The Texas Sports Betting Alliance, which essentially advocates for legalization, is not shy about painting Lieutenant Governor Patrick’s stance in negative . Proponents argue that The Lone Star State is leaving hundreds of millions of dollars on the table each year. They also maintain that a legalized market, and thus a regulated one, has a much less negative impact than driving Texans to bet on sports with offshore sites. 

This is all to some extent true. Whether it outshines the potential risks (i.e. problem gambling development) is a separate matter. Regardless, this is the same argument sports betting advocates in Texas and other states have used for years. And make no mistake, it can be effective. It has been effective. But it’s clearly not working in Texas. We are roughly seven years removed from the Supreme Court of the United States deciding to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. If this line of thinking was going to change the tide in Texas, it probably would have worked already. 

All of which suggests that policymakers and advocates may need to adjust their approach. Harping on the financial and regulatory benefits is still crucial. At the same time, converting opponents into allies requires effectively assuaging or solving their concerns. Beyond Mr. Patrick’s inherent opinion of gambling, in this case that means figuring out how to address the view that Texas sports betting will be a “destructive social force.” 

The Sports Betting Alliance is Already Preparing to Shift Its Approach

It sounds like the Texas sports betting Alliance is picking up on this as well. 

Karina Kling is a spokesperson for the alliance (and a former Spectrum News 1 anchor). Recently, she told Lozano that their push to legalize online sports betting apps in Texas will reframe its approach next time around. “We’re going to educate people on what this would mean in of keeping Texans safe,” Kling says. 

That is a well-intentioned premise. What it looks like in practice remains to be seen. Could the Texas Sports Betting Alliance win over certain opponents by imposing individual gambling limits? Or by having online sports betting sites in the United States agree to operate with more transparency? Would limiting the number of licenses allowed help? Can there be special, and more restrictive, promotional policies? What about devoting a larger percentage of revenue than other states toward problem gambling prevention and treatment? What does any of this even look like? How effective would it be, both in practice and when it comes to converting opponents to ers?

This is just a sampling of the questions at hand. And it will be quite some time before we get any answers, if we get them at all. With 2025 Texas sports betting legislation all but dead where it sits, ers will now shift their focus towards 2027. And while many remain optimistic, there’s no escaping the reality that one more failed attempt means sports betting in Texas almost assuredly won’t launch before the end of the decade.

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