Texas Senate Pushes Sports Betting with Companion Bill S.J.R. 65
Texas lawmakers are laying the groundwork for sports betting with Senate Joint Resolution 65 (S.J.R. 65), a companion to House Joint Resolution 134 (HJR 134). Introduced in the Senate, this measure mirrors its House counterpart, proposing a constitutional amendment to let voters decide on legalizing wagers on sports events.
The Plan Takes Shape
S.J.R. 65 aims to give Texans a say in whether the state legislature can greenlight sports betting. The ballot question is straightforward: “The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to legalize wagering in this state on certain sporting events.”
If voters say yes, lawmakers could craft rules allowing bets through pro sports teams, organizations hosting annual golf tournaments in Texas before January 1, 2025, Class 1 racetracks, or their designees, all pre-existing entities as of that date.
Details remain light. The resolution doesn’t specify which sports would qualify, whether bets would be online or in-person, or how licenses, fees, and taxes would work. That’s left for future legislation if the amendment passes. For now, it’s a framework, a starting line rather than a finish.
Echoes of the House
The Senate bill tracks closely with HJR 134, which rolled out the same idea in the House. Both resolutions peg eligible operators to established sports entities and set the same November 2025 vote.
They’re two sides of the same coin, pushing a unified goal: letting Texans weigh in on a market that’s thrived elsewhere but stayed off-limits here.
This isn’t Texas’s first swing at this. In 2023, a similar House resolution cleared its chamber but stalled in the Senate, a reminder of the political hurdles ahead. Getting both chambers to align, and voters to agree, remains the challenge.
If S.J.R. 65 and HJR 134 succeed, Texas could join the growing list of states cashing in on sports betting revenue. Pro teams like the Dallas Cowboys or Houston Astros, golf events like the Houston Open, and racetracks could anchor the market.
Yet, the lack of specifics leaves room for debate, will it be a wide-open online rollout or a tighter, in-person setup? That’s for later, assuming the amendment clears the gate.
A Tough Climate Looms
Even if S.J.R. 65 gains traction, Texas’s current stance on gambling casts a shadow. The Texas Lottery Commission recently banned lottery courier services, citing compliance issues and fraud risks.
The agency flagged 13 state laws these services allegedly broke, like sales to minors or lottery officials, flipping its prior tolerance to a hard no.
In this cautious environment, where regulators are tightening rather than loosening, pushing sports betting through might prove tougher than hoped. For now, Texas’s betting dreams hang on a vote, and a shifting tide.
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