Want more gambling? What we know about the possibility for North Texas casinos

Texas lawmakers are pushing for casinos in Texas — including two potentially in North Texas — but there are still many steps before destination-style resorts in Texas become a reality, if ever.

House Rep. Charlie Geren, a Fort Worth Republican, has filed a bill to bring casinos to Texas, but it’s still early in the legislative session and the effort fell flat in 2021, despite hefty investments by casino and resort company Las Vegas Sands. Even if Geren’s proposal passed, it’d have to go to voters as a constitutional amendment.

Texas allows the lottery, horse and greyhound racing and has a few tribal casinos, but gambling is largely illegal in the state.

Here’s what we know about the potential of casinos in North Texas.

What does the bill say?

Geren’s bill, HJR 97, would allow for seven destination-resort style casinos. Think casinos that also have other amenities like like hotels, restaurants, meeting spaces, entertainment venues and shopping centers.

The law, as initially drafted, stipulates that two of those could go in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Where they’d go and who would own them is less clear but the bill offers some guidelines by working with already existing horse and greyhound racetracks.

Two other destination-resorts could go in the Houston area, as well as one each in San Antonio, McAllen and Corpus Christi.

In DFW, an “initial qualified applicant” for a casino license would need to be a racetrack license holder who was licensed as of Jan. 1, 2022, to hold races in the Metroplex or the Laredo area. A person with a license to conduct racing in Texas could also “designate a person to apply for and hold a casino license,” according to the bill.

An “initial qualified applicant” must also commit to investing at least $2 billion into the development of a destination resort. That includes costs for land acquisition.

The legislation notes that someone cannot have ownership interests in more than two casino license holders.

Of note: Racing licenses in Texas are not transferable. Geren says if the proposed constitutional amendment passes, the licenses could be purchased.

Where are there race tracks in Texas?

Texas has five race tracks with live races scheduled for 2023, according to a map from the Racing Commission: Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Gillespie County Fair & Festivals Association Inc. in Fredricksburg, Retama Park in Selma, Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, and Gulf Coast Racing in Corpus Christi.

The track in Grand Prairie is operated by a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation, which owns WinStar World Casino and Resort in Oklahoma. The Chickasaw Nation expressed interest in a Feb. 3 statement in working with the Legislature.

“The Chickasaw Nation has long been active in the Texas economy and committed to providing high-paying, quality jobs for Texans,” the tribe said. “Given our commitment to Texas, we look forward to engaging with their Legislature about the economic benefits and tens of thousands of jobs destination resorts will bring to the Lone Star State.”

But in addition to the active race tracks, there are also tracks that hold licenses but don’t have races scheduled: Manor Downs in Mano, Gulf Greyhound Park in LaMarque, Valle de los Tesoros in McAllen, Valley Race Park in Harligen and Laredo Downs in Laredo.

The way the bill is drafted seems to open the door for the Laredo track or Grand Prairie track to potentially get in the casino game in North Texas, if they choose.

Laredo Downs, legally named LRP Group, Ltd., is mostly owned by Muy Buena Suerte, Ltd — which is affiliated with the LaMantia family, state records show. The company’s president Greg LaMantia asked the Racing Commission in a July letter to approve a new site for their Laredo track, a request that was approved at a December meeting.

LaMantia in an email said he was not available on Friday for an interview. Sen. Morgan LaMantia, a South Padre Island Democrat, is Greg LaMantia’s niece, according to PlayTexas. The senator was not available for comment Friday.

The Straus family, including former House Speaker Joe Straus, also have some ownership of the Laredo track through trusts, about 9%, records show.

The bill stipulates that a race track license holder in Laredo would have to stop all racing operations and give up the license if it holds or designates a person to hold a casino license.

Would Las Vegas Sands want to come to DFW?

Las Vegas Sands has been driving the push for destination-style casinos in Texas in recent years. This past campaign cycle, the Texas Sands PAC donated more than $2 million to Democratic and Republican candidates. Las Vegas Sands has also enlisted dozens of lobbyist this legislative session.

Representatives with Las Vegas Sands havefor a destination resort style casino in Texas, according to The Dallas Morning-News.

“We’ll look at the entire market of Texas, but focus primarily on Dallas because that is where the greatest bleed of money is going, across the Oklahoma border,” Senior Vice President of Government Relations Andy Abboud told reporters during the 2021 session. “While it has a strong tourism industry, we can enhance that.”

What about sports betting?

The early proposal legalizing expanded casino gambling would also legalize sports wagering in Texas, but it’s not yet clear what form that would take, be it online or in-person only. That’s up to the Legislature, according to the bill.

The Texas Sports Betting Alliance is pushing for online sports betting in Texas, and a bill backed by the group was filed Feb. 6.