Lone Star State wants gaming
April 1, 2009
The
day before four Texas lawmakers introduced
legislation in March that would permit nine casinos to operate in several of Texas' major cities, legalized gambling proponents
displayed a statewide poll showing that a majority of Texas voters want casinos.
The
survey of 1,006 Texas
residents was conducted in early February with 75 percent of the respondents
reacting favorably to legalizing casinos. Gaming is being proposed as a way to
fund the state's deficit, finance education and provide jobs.
The
measure must pass both houses of the Texas Legislature by a two-thirds vote and
then be placed in front of voters.
The
effort is not the first time Texas
casinos have been proposed, but opponents to gaming have prevailed each
time.
But this time the current economic climate might make
gaming more palatable to lawmakers despite opposition from religious groups.
“Our breadth of support cuts across all lines of gender,
race and party,” said Tommy Azapardi, executive director of Texans for Economic
Development. “In these economic times, voters are very motivated by the 53,000
new jobs and the billion dollars a year for state coffers racinos could
generate for the state.”
The
survey also highlighted Texans’ dissatisfaction over losing billions every year
to racinos in neighboring states.
Texans also believe it to be a priority to preserve and
grow the state’s horse industry, which is in decline because neighboring states
use gaming proceeds to boost purses at their racetracks.
Informed support ranges from 68 percent of
conservative Republicans to 84 percent of moderate/liberal Democrats. In
addition, 77 percent of African-Americans, 73 percent of Anglos, and 79 percent
of Hispanics favor slot machines at the tracks and on Indian reservations,
according to the survey.
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