Our State Senator Joins the Sports Betting Effort

State Senator Lois Kolkhorst filed a pair of bills this week that would legalize mobile sports betting in Texas.

Kolkhorst represents Fayette County in the Texas Senate. She is a leader in the Senate and a close ally of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who has been an opponent of legalized gambling in Texas. Accordingly, many political observers believe her endorsement of the plan gives it a good chance of passing.

Betting on sporting events is technically illegal in Texas. However, the proliferation of sports betting sites on the internet makes enforcement difficult if not impossible. Sports betting experts estimate that Texans place billions of dollars each year on illegal, offshore bets.

Kolkhorst’s bills would regulate internet sports betting in Texas and place a 10 percent tax on all bets. Two percent of the tax revenue would be dedicated to a gambling addiction grant fund. The remainder would go into the state’s general revenue fund “to be appropriated to the Texas Education Agency for use in providing property tax relief.”

“I introduced SB 715 and SJR 39 because Texas needs to bring security and safety into the world of mobile sports betting,” Kolkhorst said in a statement. “It makes sense to reign in all of the illegal offshore betting and keep sports wagering funds here in Texas.”

SB 715 would regulate the business of sports betting on the internet, also known as mobile sports betting. The bill requires voter approval of a constitutional amendment. SJR 38 calls for a constitutional amendment election.

Democratic State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa of McAllen authored similar legislation during the last session in 2021, but it did not make it out of committee. Hinojosa signed on as a co-author to Kolkhorst’s bill this session.

“As a former collegiate athlete, I respect the purity of sports and feel SB 715 and SJR 39 will promote integrity through transparent licensing, permitting, and reporting requirements,” Kolkhorst said in a statement.

Former governor and Round Top-area resident Rick Perry recently made headlines promoting the effort to legalize sports betting in Texas. The Sports Betting Alliance, an industry group that promotes legal sports betting, tapped Perry as a spokesperson just ahead of this year’s legislative session.