Dan Patrick, one of the staunchest opponents of gambling expansion, has lost his race, one of several key seat flips in Texas, which could give gambling supporters fresh hopes for legalization.
Texas’ midterm elections made headlines as they reshaped the state’s political leadership, removing one of the biggest obstacles to gambling expansion and potentially opening a path for casino and sports betting legislation that has repeatedly stalled.
Democrat Vikki Goodwin’s upset win over longtime Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in Tuesday’s midterm elections is particularly significant. Patrick has shut down multiple attempts at expanding gambling in Texas, citing moral and social reasons. Goodwin, meanwhile, has publicly backed letting voters decide the issue.
But a leadership change does not necessarily mean a change in gambling policy.
Incoming governor Gina Hinojosa, who also pulled a major upset over longtime Gov. Greg Abbott, voted against gambling proposals in 2023, and the Legislature will still need substantial bipartisan support to put legalization before voters.
Still, leadership change could be welcome news for Las Vegas Sands (LVS), which has spent years and tens of millions of dollars trying to bring a casino resort to Texas.
Despite several candidates backed by LVS political committees losing their primary races earlier this year, the casino giant’s efforts could see a more favorable outlook.
Patrick’s Defeat Removes a Major Senate Obstacle
For years, Patrick’s opposition made the Texas Senate an impossible hurdle for gambling legislation to advance.
In 2023, the House passed a sports betting constitutional amendment, while a separate casino proposal fell short of the required votes. Neither advanced in the Senate, and another attempt to expand gambling went nowhere in 2025.
Patrick has repeatedly maintained that there is no support from Republicans in the Senate. Democrats led the 2023 efforts, and Patrick has said no bill will pass in the Senate with Republicans in the minority.
Goodwin has taken a different position.
In a September 2025 interview with FOX 7 Austin, she argued that Texans should be allowed to vote on legalizing casinos and online sports betting.
I think that we should allow personal freedom, personal responsibility in the state of Texas…why don’t we allow them to vote to have a say?” she said.
Goodwin added that many Texans travel out of state to gamble and cited a survey that suggested that Texans are open to legalizing gambling. She also questioned whether casino legislation should favor a handful of predetermined locations and operators, as previous destination-resort proposals contemplated.
Goodwin voted for the 2023 gambling expansion amendment proposals. Still, she may find that replacing Patrick is only part of the challenge.
Republicans are expected to retain control of the state Senate and could rewrite chamber rules, something discussed before Patrick’s upset loss. That could potentially limit Goodwin’s authority over committee appointments and legislation.
Hinojosa’s Voting Record Complicates the Outlook
The governor’s race presents a less straightforward picture.
Democrat Hinojosa defeated Republican Abbott, who had expressed some openness to sports betting during his time in office.
In early 2025, Abbott said he would be open to letting voters decide whether to legalize online sports betting. That stance changed by late 2025, with the outgoing governor saying he’s “not there yet,” citing addiction concerns.
Hinojosa’s voting record suggests that she might not be as open as Goodwin. The governor-elect opposed both 2023 constitutional amendments for sports betting and casinos.
Whether that view has changed remains to be seen. Gambling was not a major focus of Hinojosa’s gubernatorial campaign, and she has not outlined how she would approach possible legalization proposals in 2027.
While Hinojosa cannot veto a proposed constitutional amendment, she would have considerable influence over the subsequent legislation to establish the regulatory and tax framework if a gambling expansion advances.
The Legislature Still Has to Deliver the Votes
Even if Goodwin allows gambling proposals to advance, the numbers remain challenging.
Under the Texas Constitution, an amendment needs support from two-thirds of both legislative chambers before it can go to voters.
That translates to 100 votes in the 150-member House and 21 in the 31-member Senate, followed by approval from a majority of voters.The last serious attempts show how narrow the path can be.
In 2023, the sports betting amendment passed the House by a 101–42 vote, narrowly clearing the required two-thirds threshold. A separate casino proposal received 92 votes during an earlier vote but failed to secure enough support to advance.
Neither reached the ballot, and similar efforts stalled again in 2025.
Votes are still being counted for the current midterm election. Early results suggest that the Republicans will hold on to the Senate, while Democrats might get a slight advantage in the House.
Whatever the final balance, the two-thirds requirement means gambling supporters cannot rely on a simple party majority.
Las Vegas Sands’ Years of Spending Meet a Different Political Reality
Few companies have invested as heavily in changing Texas gambling laws as LVS.
The company’s late founder Sheldon Adelson began the push in 2021, hiring over 100 lobbyists paying them between $5 million and $10 million. His wife Miriam Adelson continued the effort after his death in 2021.
A Dallas Morning News investigation estimated that Adelson had spent about $29 million on Texas political activity, much of it through Sands-linked PACs supporting candidates receptive to casino legalization.
The spending, however, has brought mixed results. In the 2026 Republican primaries, several gambling opponents defeated Sands-backed challengers.
Kyle Morris lost by over 27 percentage points,despite receiving $140,000 from Texas Sands PAC, while Nathan Watkins lost by 25 points, after receiving $110,000. Former Southlake Mayor John Huffman failed to reach a Senate runoff, despite receiving $1.2 million.
Still, LVS reaffirmed its commitment to Texas, and some recipients of Sands-linked contributions won in November.
Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson received $125,000 from Texas Sands PAC, while incoming Democratic Comptroller Sarah Eckhardt‘s campaign received a $5,000 payment from the committee.
James Talarico, the incoming U.S. senator, received $59,000 during his 2024 House campaign. He has publicly supported gambling legalization but will have no direct vote on a state amendment.
Beyond politics, LVS acquired land around the former Texas Stadium site in Irving, but local opposition prompted it to drop the casino component from its development proposal in 2025.
Patrick’s defeat removes a major obstacle, although Sands still faces legislative and local opposition.
Johnson’s Election Raises Questions Beyond Legalization
The incoming attorney general could also reshape Texas’ approach to gambling, particularly enforcement.
Nathan Johnson has already supported giving voters a say on casino expansion.
In March 2025, as a State Senator, he introduced a constitutional amendment to legalize sports betting and destination-resort casinos.
I’m not promoting casino gaming with this resolution. I’m promoting the option to have it,” Johnson said at the time.
As attorney general, Johnson will not have the power to legalize gambling. His office could, however, influence how existing laws are interpreted and enforced.
That includes questions around unregulated or disputed alternative ways of gambling, including sweepstakes casinos.
For sweepstakes casinos, which have faced a growing regulatory and legislative scrutiny in other states, Texas already has gambling and consumer protection statutes that could be used to challenge certain sweepstakes casino operations.
Johnson could also issue a legal opinion addressing their legality, as Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill did in 2025. Her opinion was followed by tax lawsuits against operators, though Louisiana’s Department of Revenue brought those actions.
Johnson has not indicated a position. Still, in 2025 he supported legislation that sought tougher gambling-related criminal provisions and penalties, primarily targeting gambling devices.
Prediction Markets Add Another Complication
Johnson and lawmakers could also address the increasingly complicated question surrounding prediction markets.
Texas is among several states that have held out of the broader dispute, with outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton largely not supporting various amicus briefs from other attorneys general in multiple cases.
That could change.
In March, Patrick directed the Senate State Affairs Committee to examine whether federally regulated prediction markets circumvent state gambling restrictions.
The committee held a hearing in September, where competing arguments focused on sports event contracts and the boundaries between federal commodities regulation and state gambling laws.
Notably, Democratic lawmakers have been more critical of prediction markets than their Republican colleagues, so observers will watch whether Texas goes on the offensive against prediction markets in 2027.
A New Opening, but No Clear Path Yet
Public opinion adds another layer of uncertainty.
A February 2025 University of Houston survey found 73% support for destination-resort casinos and 60% for online sports betting. Yet an April 2025 University of Texas poll found 42% opposed casino expansion versus 38% supporting it, while online betting faced 45% opposition and 31% support.
For now, though, the decision rests with lawmakers rather than voters.
Patrick’s defeat changes a political dynamic that had kept gambling legislation from reaching the Senate floor. But Goodwin’s authority remains uncertain, Hinojosa has previously opposed expansion, and the Legislature still needs to assemble the required supermajorities.
After years of stalled legislation and millions in industry spending, Texas gambling supporters may finally have an opportunity to test whether the votes are there.
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