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Could sports betting finally be coming to Texas? Probably not. But there is still reason to be somewhat optimistic for the future at least.
The Texas House on Thursday gave final approval to legislation that would let voters decide whether to legalize online sports betting across the state.
That's easier said than done. California voters went against a similar amendment while Colorado just narrowly got by with 51 percent of the vote.
The proposal needed 100 votes to pass and got exactly that when the roll was first called.
The powerful Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has repeatedly said there is not enough support in the Senate. And Friday is the deadline for the House to give final passage to its bills. Uhhh that's under 24 hours.
The author of the sports-betting legislation, Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, gave an emphatic final speech on the House floor Thursday, reiterating his argument that many Texans are already betting on sports, only illegally.
“Every single one of them are criminals ... under Texas law, and I believe that we should pass this bill to let them come out of the shadows and to carefully and safely regulate this,” Leach said.
Good luck. It's not happening this year.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
