Category Archives: Jackpot!

Texas Two-Step (TM)

What a tale. After two years experimenting with an old Persian family technique using grains and raisins, Ali Ansari finally nailed his new vodka recipe. He poured $4 million into building a distillery outside of Houston and branded his drink … Continue reading

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Why the push for casinos failed

Here’s a long story with a detailed answer to what is honestly a straightforward and easy to understand question. In its effort to bring casinos to Texas, Las Vegas Sands — the gaming empire started by the late Republican megadonor … Continue reading

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Once again, bills to allow more gambling in Texas are dead

Same as it ever was. A high-profile push by the gaming empire Las Vegas Sands to bring casinos to Texas appears doomed at the state Capitol as this year’s legislative session begins to wind down. Monday was the deadline for … Continue reading

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The Sports Betting Alliance

Keep an eye on this. A new alliance of major Texas sports teams has announced they will be backing legislation to allow for sports betting in Texas. The Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Mavericks are among the … Continue reading

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Stadiums and sports betting

Sheryl Ring at Fangraphs adds another dimension to the SCOTUS sports betting decision story. But there is another incentive for states to legalize sports betting aside from just basic tax revenue. We’ve talked about ballpark deals, particularly in the context … Continue reading

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SCOTUS rules for sports betting

Gamblers rejoice. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed all states to legalize sports gambling. But a ban in Texas remains in place, and recent history suggests that state leaders will be in no rush to lift it. The high court … Continue reading

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Sports betting at SCOTUS

A case you might want to watch. Internet gambling in the United States has been limited to just three states since it began in 2013, but it could soon get a big boost from an unlikely source: the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading

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State sues Alabama-Coushatta tribe over casino

Here we go again. A new legal salvo was fired this week in the state’s long-running battle against Indian gambling with a filing in federal court that seeks to close the gaming hall on the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation. A motion for … Continue reading

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Alabama-Coushatta casino opens

Get your gamble on, y’all. Fourteen years after it was forced to close under threat of legal action by the state, the tribe’s modest casino reopened three weeks ago with little fanfare but great expectations. Now, the vast, once empty … Continue reading

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Paxton opines against daily fantasy sports sites

I feel confident saying this will be tested in court. While placing bets on fantasy sports sites might involve skill, there is still an element of chance that equates such leagues with illegal gambling in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton … Continue reading

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The forthcoming fight over the Alabama-Coushatta casino in Texas

I missed this report from November. After more than 13 years, the feds say the Alabama-Coushatta’s casino in Livingston can finally reopen. And here’s the kicker: according to the federal government’s reasoning, the tribe’s casino should never have been forced … Continue reading

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Sports betting

There may soon come a day when you can place a bet on your favorite team without having to travel, visit offshore Internet websites, or interact with people who don’t have necks. [NBA Commissioner Adam] Silver, in a November op-ed … Continue reading

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Just a reminder that “more gambling” does not necessarily mean “more revenue”

If Atlantic City can go bust… The winning streak has run cold for Atlantic City, N.J. Earlier this week, the upscale Revel Casino Hotel announced it will close, bringing the total number of casinos in the city expected to close … Continue reading

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A cautionary tale about expanded gambling

Wonkblog: Earlier this week, Delaware’s casinos got a surprise windfall. Just days after saying no to tax breaks, Gov. Jack Markell (D) proposed that $8 million of the state’s budget surplus be distributed amongst its three struggling establishments, to forestall … Continue reading

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More on the potential Coushatta casino

The Houston Press cover story from last week is about the Alabama-Coushatta tribe’s efforts to get a casino again. It covers a lot of the same ground as that Chron story I blogged about on Sunday, but it also reminds … Continue reading

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The federal option for gambling expansion in Texas

There is a way to expand gambling in Texas without going through the Legislature. For decades the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe fought hard to make the federal government acknowledge that it illegally developed more than 5 million acres of the tribe’s aboriginal … Continue reading

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It may not matter where the casinos are

I don’t know if the gambling industry will finally gain traction in their effort to legally expand operations in Texas, but I do wonder if they’re fighting the last war and missing out on what’s happening now elsewhere in the … Continue reading

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More on the economic effect of casinos

I’m just noting this for the record, since I am sure that gambling expansion will come up again in The Lege this spring. Melissa Kearney, an economist at the University of Maryland, released a literature review in 2005 summarizing work … Continue reading

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The state would like for the counties to enforce the law against eight-liners

Apparently, some legislators who don’t much like gambling had a few things to say about that article about eight-liners. “Eight-liners that provide cash prizes are against the law, and the law needs to be enforced,” [State Sen. Dan] Patrick said … Continue reading

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Counties are skirting the state on gambling, too

When eight-liners are outlawed, cities and counties will tend to look the other way rather than try to deal with enforcing the laws against them. Some of the money has arrived at the Duval County building in five-figure money orders … Continue reading

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Baccarat

I’m fascinated by this story. Hours after a judge ordered the Golden Nugget Atlantic City to let gamblers cash in nearly $1 million worth of chips they won in a card game where the decks were unshuffled, the casino’s owner … Continue reading

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Ending the Lottery?

Seems unlikely, but that won’t stop some folks from trying. As lawmakers look at whether the Texas Lottery Commission is operating effectively, influential Baptists are suggesting that the lottery shouldn’t merely be tweaked. They want it abolished. “Ask the pertinent … Continue reading

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Anti-tax zealots plump for casinos

Gambling yes! Grover Norquist, the nation’s most prominent anti-tax crusader, wrote a letter last week to Texas legislators to call for expanded gambling. “In light of the adverse economic impact that higher taxes would have, it is imperative that lawmakers … Continue reading

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Casinos expanding nationally

I have no idea what the political or budgetary climate will be like for the gambling industry here in Texas when the Lege next convenes in 2013, but they have been gaining a lot of ground elsewhere in the country. … Continue reading

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A step forward for online gambling

Interesting. The Justice Department has reversed its long-held opposition to many forms of Internet gambling, removing a big legal obstacle for states that want to sanction online gambling to help fix their budget deficits. The legal opinion, issued by the … Continue reading

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We do have casino gambling in Texas

With all the talk about slot machines at horse racing tracks and legalized casinos, it’s easy to forget that there already is one legal casino in Texas. As the busloads of seniors and other low rollers pulled in from San … Continue reading

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States looking at online gambling

Until the economy returns to the point where states aren’t completely strapped for revenue, I expect them to look at all possible sources of new money. It’s an idea gaining currency around the country: virtual gambling as part of the … Continue reading

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Bad times are good for the Lottery

Some people might consider this to be good news, but I don’t. This year, the Texas Lottery Commission’s sales are headed for a record high, on pace to reach about $3.83 billion, up from $3.74 billion last year. The previous … Continue reading

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The bingo business

Really interesting story about how bingo, which is legal in Texas as a charitable fundraiser, operates without a whole lot of scrutiny. In June 2006, police responded to a call from Daytime Bingo Hall in Midland reporting that $100,000 in … Continue reading

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Casinos look to the Internet

Interesting. Many of the country’s largest casinos, long opposed to gambling games like poker on the Internet, are now having second thoughts. Although online gambling is popular with millions of Americans, it is illegal in the United States, and the … Continue reading

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The state of the Lottery

The Statesman has an interesting two-part story about the state of the Texas Lottery today. Part One is about the declining fortunes of Lotto Texas and what that means for the state’s finances: Consider: • In 1994, 70 percent of … Continue reading

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Lottery can’t meet its jackpots

Oops. Lottery officials are celebrating an uptick in Lotto Texas sales this year, but ticket proceeds were nearly $1.2 million short of covering the latest winning jackpot, forcing officials to dip into the state lottery account to cover the difference. … Continue reading

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The limits of gambling

People who like to gamble have a lot more options available to them than they used to. The Marcuses’ three-day pilgrimage had taken them across a region suddenly awash in slot parlors and Las Vegas-style casinos, what with New York, … Continue reading

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Who wants to run the Texas Lottery?

The contract is up for a bid, and the competition is fierce. Companies that run lotteries around the world are expected to ante up by this week, proposing how they would oversee the Texas Lottery if they were to land … Continue reading

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