TLDR
- Democrat Vikki Goodwin defeated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who blocked gambling bills in the Texas Senate for years.
- A constitutional amendment needs 21 Senate votes, and Republicans still hold 19 of 31 seats.
- Backers would need at least nine Republican senators even if every Democrat votes yes.
- A 2025 poll found 73% support for resort casinos, compared with 60% for sports betting.
- Tilman Fertitta’s $17.6bn Caesars Entertainment deal still needs Federal Trade Commission approval.
Texas gambling supporters now face a math problem in the state Senate. Even with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick leaving office, any sports betting or casino plan needs at least nine Republican senators to vote yes.
Democratic state Rep. Vikki Goodwin defeated Patrick in Tuesday’s election. Patrick used his control over the Senate floor for more than a decade to block gambling bills before senators could debate them.
Goodwin’s win was part of a statewide Democratic sweep. Gina Hinojosa ousted Gov. Greg Abbott, and Nathan Johnson flipped the attorney general’s office.
The Vote Count Behind Texas Gambling
Any gambling expansion in Texas requires a constitutional amendment. That needs 100 votes in the House, 21 votes in the Senate, and then approval from a majority of voters.
The Texas Senate held at 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats after the election. If every Democrat backs a resolution, supporters would still need nine Republicans to reach 21.
Democrats flipped the Texas House for the first time since 2003. Republicans could also rewrite Senate rules to limit Goodwin’s control over committee appointments and bills, an idea raised before Patrick lost.
The House has cleared the bar before. In 2023, it passed an online sports betting amendment by a 101-42 vote, the farthest any gambling bill had gone in Texas in two decades. Patrick ended its run within days.
In November 2024, Patrick told CBS News Texas that Senate Republicans were not close to having 15 or 16 votes for casinos. Casino and sports betting proposals were later filed, but none advanced out of committee.
“What we all consider to be the single largest blocker to even floor consideration of gambling debate will now be out of office,” said Josh Kirschner, a partner at Holland & Knight. “That is a sea change.”
Brendan Bussmann of advisory firm B Global had expected Texas gambling operations no earlier than 2033. He now says that timeline is “no longer the case,” but added that many conversations still need to happen.
Casino Owners and New State Leaders
Goodwin voted for the 2023 expansion proposals as a House member. In 2025, she told FOX 7 Austin that Texans should be allowed “to vote to have a say” on gambling.
Hinojosa opposed both 2023 constitutional amendments. She cannot veto an amendment, but she would have major influence over the law that sets licensing and tax terms.
Kirschner said casinos may come before mobile betting. A 2025 University of Houston poll found 73% support for destination resort casinos, compared with 60% for sports betting.
Las Vegas Sands majority owner Miriam Adelson spent about $29m on Texas political activity, according to a Dallas Morning News estimate. Anti-gambling Republicans still beat Sands-backed challengers in the March primaries.
Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta is also in focus. Caesars Entertainment shareholders approved his $17.6bn deal for the company in September, but it still needs Federal Trade Commission approval.
If the deal closes, Fertitta would control 60 casino resorts and a large online sportsbook business. Ronnie Jones, former chair of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, said the election results “may have shuffled the deck” for Fertitta’s priorities.
Mark Cuban told SBC Americas on Wednesday that the result “certainly changes the calculus.” He added that he has no knowledge of what may happen next, as lawmakers prepare to return to Austin for the 2027 regular session.
