Lawmakers Put Gambling in the Hands of the People

Gambling finds itself on the ballot in the State of Texas, where lawmakers are seeking a constitutional amendment that would put the controversial topic to a public vote. Although similar bills have failed in the past, many praise the Senators involved for attempting to put the decision in the hands of the people.

The question at the heart of the debate is simple. Should Texans have the right to decide if casino gambling will be legal in their State? The obvious answer to many is yes, let's give Texans the right to decide what is best for Texas. Or at least that's the approach being taken by two of the State's lawmakers.

Senators John Corona (R-Dallas) and Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) have joined forces on a bipartisan bill that would amend the Texas State Constitution in regards to it's gambling law. If approved by Texas voters, the proposed amendment would open the door for as many as twelve casinos in the State, with three of those being tribal casinos operated by Native Americans. The bill would also allow some forms of slot machines to have limited operations at the State's horse and dog racing tracks

Still in it's early stages, the bill has a long road ahead of it. Assuming it passes the State Legislature, the amendment would then go to the residents of the State. If the people vote for the constitutional amendment, then each local community where gambling is proposed would have a localized vote to say whether or not they want to have a casino in their area.

While this multi-tiered approach puts several hurtles in the bill's path, it also insures that the final result is truly the will of the people. More importantly, it means that voters at least have a choice on the subject of gambling; a choice they do not have at this time.

Similar efforts failed in the past due to voters being worried that small, badly managed casinos would crop up all over the State. The new bill addresses this issue, by requiring new casinos to pony up $200-400 Million as part of the process of obtaining a gambling license. This helps make sure that only well funded, reputable businesses will be allowed to enter the Texas casino market.