Social IssuesCurated by Alexa Ura and Bobby Blanchard
Attempts to legalize casino gambling in Texas have failed for years, and 2015 was no exception. A 2013 study estimated that Texans spend nearly $3 billion annually at gaming facilities in other states, and some lawmakers have said they would like to use that money to fund roads.
Rep. Matt Krause, R- Fort Worth, has been fighting against “historical racing” machines, saying they are no more than slot machines, which are illegal in Texas. In November, a state district judge ruled the Texas Racing Commission did not have the authority to install this type of machines at racetracks.
Leaders of the Texas Racing Commission might consider themselves lucky that lawmakers didn't defund the agency. Early in the session, senators in charge of the state's budget called it a "rogue" and "renegade" agency, saying the commission should have waited for the Legislature's approval before deciding last summer to allow historical racing.
Updated: May 29, 2015
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The Texas Legislative Guide was designed and developed by Becca Aaronson, Emily Albracht, Daniel Craigmile, Annie Daniel, Ben Hasson and Ryan Murphy for The Texas Tribune. The Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that promotes civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, government and other matters of statewide concern.