Gov. Greg Abbott is leaning toward allowing sports betting in Texas.
The governor made these claims on the Texas Take Podcast from the Houston Chronicle, hosted by Scott Braddock and Jeremy Wallace.
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During the podcast, Abbott expressed that he would not oppose the Texas Legislature enacting a law to legalize online sports betting.
Currently, Texas is one of 11 states where online sports betting is prohibited.
“I don’t have a problem with online sports betting,” Abbott said in an interview at the governor’s mansion. “The reality is that I’d be shocked if there were not some Texans that do it already.”
According to the Houston Chronicle, a coalition of major sports franchises including the Dallas Cowboys, the Houston Astros and the San Antonio Spurs have teamed up with sports gaming companies like BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel to push for legalized betting through the Texas Sports Betting Alliance.
Sports betting sites gained popularity in 2018 after the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law that prohibited most states from allowing it.
During the previous Texas Legislative session in 2023, proposals to legalize sports betting and casinos fell short. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has repeatedly said he does not support legalized gambling.
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