In some states where tribal gambling is prevalent, sports betting bills have not been introduced at all. Sports betting measures introduced in Arizona and Washington state are also considered longshots, mostly because of tribal ambivalence or opposition. Two Oklahoma tribes, the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations, have given more than $5 million to Texas officeholders and candidates since 2006.
It was introduced by a Democrat, the minority party, in a state where casino operators from neighboring Oklahoma and Louisiana have donated millions to keep gambling out. In Texas, the only sports betting bill is almost certain to die. The tribes, which operate 21 casinos and have given millions in campaign donations, are especially concerned about allowing sports betting on mobile devices, which they fear could invite wider internet gambling that could threaten their casinos.
Gambling 'is the only successful economic development tool the tribes have ever had,' John McCarthy, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, told the committee. But that's likely to be as far as it goes, in large part because the state's politically potent tribes oppose it. In Minnesota, a bill seeking to legalize sports betting cleared its first hurdle earlier this year, passing a committee in the state Senate.
