Texas has long resisted efforts to legalize casinos and sports betting, but the results of Tuesday’s election could give supporters of expanded gambling their best opportunity in years to revisit the issue.
The biggest change isn’t necessarily who’s moving into the governor’s mansion. It’s who’s leaving the lieutenant governor’s office.
Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, one of the most influential opponents of gambling expansion in Texas, lost his reelection bid to Democrat Vikki Goodwin, a state representative who has supported allowing Texans to vote on the issue.
His defeat removes a major obstacle that has prevented gambling legislation from advancing through the Texas Senate.
But that doesn’t mean casinos or online sports betting are coming to Texas anytime soon.
As lieutenant governor, Patrick held considerable influence over which bills advanced through the Texas Senate.
He repeatedly opposed efforts to expand gambling, including proposals to legalize sports betting and permit destination casinos.
In 2023, the Texas House approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to authorize sports betting. The measure passed 101-42 but never received a vote in the Senate.
Patrick’s opposition was a significant reason gambling proposals struggled to advance, even when they attracted bipartisan support in the House.
His successor, Goodwin, has taken a different position.
Goodwin supported gambling expansion proposals as a state representative and has expressed support for allowing Texans to decide whether to legalize gambling through a statewide vote.
That distinction could matter when lawmakers return to Austin in January.
With Goodwin presiding over the Senate, gambling proposals could receive consideration that they struggled to obtain under Patrick’s leadership.
Despite Democrats winning the governor’s office, lieutenant governor’s office and control of the Texas House, Republicans retained their majority in the Texas Senate.
That means Goodwin cannot legalize gambling simply by allowing legislation to advance.
Texas would need to amend its constitution to authorize the types of gambling expansion proposed in recent legislative sessions.
A proposed constitutional amendment requires support from two-thirds of both legislative chambers: at least 100 votes in the 150-member House and 21 votes in the 31-member Senate.
If approved by lawmakers, the amendment would then go before Texas voters, who would decide whether to adopt it.
With Republicans holding 19 Senate seats and Democrats holding 12, supporters would need bipartisan backing to reach the required 21 votes.
Republican senators could also vote to change Senate rules, potentially limiting Goodwin’s influence over committee assignments and which legislation reaches the floor.
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa’s victory over Republican Gov. Greg Abbott adds another dimension to the debate, although her past voting record suggests legalization is not necessarily a priority for the incoming administration.
As a state representative in 2023, Hinojosa voted against proposed constitutional amendments involving sports betting and casino gambling.
She has not announced a comprehensive plan to legalize either.
However, the governor does not have the power to veto a proposed constitutional amendment approved by the Legislature.
That means lawmakers could place a gambling amendment before voters without Hinojosa’s signature.
Her administration would still have an important role in any separate legislation establishing how legalized gambling would operate, including licensing, taxation and regulatory oversight.
Opposition to gambling in Texas has also come from religious organizations, particularly Baptist groups that have raised concerns about addiction, financial hardship and the effects of gambling on families.
During the 2023 legislative debate over sports betting, representatives of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ Christian Life Commission registered opposition to the proposal.
The opposition extends beyond Texas. In June 2025, the national Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution condemning sports betting and urging government leaders to restrict the industry.
Those positions suggest religious organizations could remain part of the debate even as changes in state leadership create a new opportunity for gambling legislation.
The next opportunity for lawmakers to take up gambling expansion will come during the 2027 Texas legislative session, which begins in January.
Supporters would need to introduce new proposals and secure enough votes in both chambers to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Sports betting and casino gambling could also be considered separately, meaning lawmakers could advance one proposal without approving the other.
For now, nothing about Texas gambling laws has changed.
But with Patrick leaving office, Goodwin preparing to lead the Senate and Democrats taking control of the House, the political circumstances surrounding the debate have shifted.
Whether that change ultimately leads to a statewide vote will depend on what lawmakers do when they return to Austin.
KPRC 2 has reached out to political experts and organizations on both sides of the gambling debate for additional perspective.
