BEAUMONT, Texas — Super Bowl LLVI being hosted for the first time in a state where sports betting is legal has shed light on states like Texas working to legalize sports betting.
If some lawmakers have it their way, Texas will soon be added to the list of 36 states where sports betting is legal.
Senate Bill 715 has been proposed to legalize sports betting in Texas, with a focus on mobile sports betting. Similar to the 2021 proposition, this new bill would put a 10% tax on its revenue.
The involvement of Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, who is carrying the legislation, is notable because she is an ally of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is seen as the biggest hurdle to expanding gambling in Texas. The previous sports-betting bill filed in the last legislative session was carried by Democrat and got virtually no traction in the GOP-led Senate.
Geocomply, a company who tracks sports bets in real-time, confirmed over 100 million transactions in legalized betting states during the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, the American Gaming Association predicted 50 million Americans would bet $16 billion on the Super Bowl, but none of that money will come to Texas.
District 22 Texas House of Representative Christian Manuel says he will support bills to legalize sports betting.
"We need to keep those Texas dollars here rather than letting them go to other states. So, i'm really excited about it. We're waiting to see it in the house," he said.
Manuel says the legalization will open up a new source of income and a new source of job creation.
"Because those jobs can leave Lake Charles and they can be here in our area," Manuel said.
Former Governor Rick Perry has joined sports betting alliance as a spokesperson, hoping to push this across the finish line.
"This is not an expansion of gambling. It's going on and it's not going to quit," Perry said.
Perry and Manuel say gambling is already alive and well in Texas.
"We have a lieutenant governor, a governor, and a speaker who are all saying, we need a new source of income," Manuel said.
"I think it will pass this session of the legislature that's my instinct," Perry said.
Perry estimates online sports betting would bring in an estimated $250 million per year to Texas.
Manuel believes the golden triangle could benefit.
"With us being positioned on the water, I think it puts us in a great position for responsible gambling, making sure that we're making miners aware of what happens knowing that they should not be gambling," Manuel said.
Southeast Texans usually drive over the state line to Louisiana to bet on their favorite teams.
The Golden Nugget in Lake Charles said this was their busiest Super Bowl Sunday yet, with over 1,000 guests trying their luck.
The legislation would ask voters to decide in a November election whether they want to legalize what the alliance calls “mobile sports betting,” or wagering on games online. That is most commonly done through phone applications like DraftKings.