Next week Tuesday will mark the start of the 88th Texas Legislature’s regular season. According to a report released by the Baptist Standard, lawmakers in the state are likely to resist pushes for the expansion of gambling.

Expansion of Gambling and School Vouchers: Hot Topics in Texas

Texas currently offers limited options for gambling such as raffles, charitable bingo and parimutuel wagering on greyhound and horse racing. Since 2018, there have been multiple attempts to legalize sports betting and expand gambling which have not succeeded in Texas. More recently, a bill proposes licensing of up to nine casino operators in the state. The proposal was pushed forward by Senator Carol Alvarado and it calls for the establishment of four casinos, as well as enabling sports betting licensing. With that in mind, Baptists in the state are strictly against the expansion of gambling.

During the new legislative season, Texas lawmakers will be facing a $27 billion budget surplus. This marks a significant difference considering that previously, in light of the pandemic, budgets were tight. At the same time, the budget surplus doesn’t mean that the legislators can burn through money but rather fit within a specifically set cap on spending.

“The challenge legislators face is making improvements that can be sustainable for the future.“

John Litzler, director of public policy at the Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission

John Litzler, the Texas Baptists Christian Life Commission’s director of public policy, revealed that for the new season, similar bills to what was filed in the past can be expected. He explained that a prime challenge for legislators is to select sustainable proposals. According to Litzler, “permanent solutions” are needed rather than “just a one-time fix, working with extra money.”

Besides the expansion of gambling, a separate proposal that may be reviewed calls for vouchers for private education. The so-called “school choice” proposal enables state funds to be forwarded to private schools by the public. This is undoubtedly another hot topic that will capture the attention of lawmakers. Still, they will have plenty of time to debate, considering that the legislative session that starts next week will run through the end of May.

Sports betting will “put a bump in the finances for everybody,” but will require more education to avoid fans and athletes fall victim to its dark side, believes Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

Bump on Finances

The Cavaliers, in partnership with Caesars Entertainment, opened Caesars Sportsbook inside their home Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse just a day after Ohio officially launched wagering on sports on January 1, 2023, and Bickerstaff reflected on the opportunities and challenges presented by sports betting to The News-Herald.

“I do think it’s something that moving forward we’re going to have to spend more time on educating ourselves and all of our guys because we know the downside or the dark side of it,” he said, asking everyone at the team to be careful as “there are so many things that can lead to trouble” despite looking innocent.

He then gave an example involving a situation in which a sports fan walking along the street recognizes him and asks him about the involvement of a doubtful player – a situation in which if he is not careful enough may breach the NBA gambling rules if providing an answer as that guy may turn the information into a wager and that wager will be related to him.

Bickerstaff then added that he is not against sports betting but it needs “to be managed properly and people need to be educated about it” as it will respond to the need of fans for more than sports while providing the Cavs with an additional source of finances.

Laying Trust on the League

On the integrity of the sport, Bickerstaff is looking to the NBA, convinced that “they’re not going to do anything to compromise the integrity of this league,” having “full trust and confidence in that.”

Ahead of the official market launch, Ohio launched “Pause Before You Play,” a responsible gambling campaign based on the “Get Set Before You Bet” problem gambling education program previously led by Ohio For Responsible Gambling.

Opened across two stories, Caesars Sportsbook inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will operate seven days a week, 362 days per year, serving visitors not only during the home games of the Cavs but also during events at the arena such as concerts, pro wrestling or Disney on Ice.

With access from both the arena and from the street, Caesars Sportsbook is expected to attract ardent gamblers in Cleveland, as well as casual sports fans willing to drop a small wager, and the first five months of 2023 are looking promising with a busy sports calendar comprising NFL playoffs, March Madness and Cavaliers games.

Caesars Sportsbook is one of 13 retail sports wagering venues, alongside 16 digital operators authorized to offer wagering on sports in the state that is promising to become one of the largest sports betting markets nationwide.