As we ready for the start of the 89th Texas Legislature, one issue that have been circling the Capitol for several years is whether to expand casino gambling in Texas. Members have filed various bills over the years to test the waters, but there’s been very little movement so far.
One thing that seems lacking is much research on what would happen in Texas if gambling were expanded. That’s where TPPF comes in. This week, we published a new study to help lawmakers understand the potential effects of making a policy change.
In short: expanded gambling would raise new state revenue, but also comes with a commensurate increase in associated social problems, such as gambling addiction, mental illness, and crime.
For example, TPPF’s Chief of Research Derek Cohen estimates Texas could see upwards of $834 million in state revenue per year from the industry. However, if our experiences were like that of other states that have recently expanded gambling, there could be a ten-fold increase in “problem gambling.”
And while $834 million sounds like a lot, it’s important to keep that number in perspective. Texas spends $93 billion on public education each year. Dedicating every dollar of gambling revenue to education would provide less than four days of funding for public schools.
Still, many supporters of gambling might say every dollar helps, plus it would create jobs and generate residual economic activity that would benefit communities even outside of what it contributes to state coffers.
However, one might ask, if Texas needs more revenue and jobs, isn’t there another way – a “Texas way” – to accomplish that without allowing a known danger into our communities?
It’s an interesting debate and one that Texas and Texans will likely have soon. It’s critical that we have a foundation of facts on which to determine the future of this issue.
This commentary is published on Thursdays as part of TPPF’s subscriber-only newsletter The Post. If you would like to subscribe to The Post, click here.