As of august 2025, Texas faces intense political maneuvering fueled by over $13.7 million in political donations from Miriam Adelson and Las Vegas Sands to promote gambling expansion. The billionaire businesswoman and controlling shareholder of the dallas mavericks has concentrated contributions mainly into two political action committees (PACs) aimed at influencing lawmakers ahead of the 2026 legislative session starting in January.
More than $8.2 million was directed to texas republicans, including key leaders lt. gov. dan patrick and house speaker dade phelan, each receiving six-figure sums. Democrats received close to $1 million, illustrating a bipartisan lobbying strategy.
Dallas casino dream fades as Las Vegas Sands halts Texas expansion efforts
House speaker dade phelan characterized the financial backing as “an investment in texas’ economic future,” highlighting the projected job creation and tourism increases that destination casinos could deliver to the state economy.
Under current texas constitutional law, expanding gambling requires overcoming significant legal barriers. The constitution bans certain forms of “gift enterprises,” mandating a two-thirds majority approval in both the texas house and senate to amend gambling statutes, followed by a statewide voter referendum. Although two pro-gambling bills made it to the floor during the 2023 session, neither passed the senate or legislature, illustrating entrenched political resistance despite significant lobbying efforts.
Economically, the influx of political donations underlines texas’ status as one of the few large, untapped gambling markets in the united states. Since 2022, las vegas sands has shifted focus away from nevada casinos to texas, aiming to capture gambling revenue and boost tourism through possible legal reforms. Despite aggressive funding, ideological opposition and constitutional challenges continue to pose major hurdles for the gambling legalization effort in texas.
