Mark Cuban is no stranger to taking big bets and has previously said he wants the Dallas Mavericks in a new arena with a resort and casino. <\/p>\n
Selling the team to the family behind the Las Vegas Sands gives him a gambling partner who is no stranger to Texas politics. <\/p>\n
The Las Vegas Sands and Resort company has hired lobbyists and pushed ads to build casinos in Texas. <\/p>\n
So, will their new ownership of the Mavericks mean Dallas is getting a casino? <\/p>\n
I dont know, laughed State Senator Carol Alvarado. This session, we got a lot further than weve ever been. <\/p>\n
The Houston Democrat has fought to legalize gambling for more than a decade. A bill to build casinos received a vote in the Texas House for the first time this spring but failed to advance. <\/p>\n
Rob Kohler, a consultant for the Christian Life Commission, the public policy arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, has lobbied against gambling. <\/p>\n
He said news of the Sands investment in the Dallas Mavericks doesnt change the math in the legislature. <\/p>\n
[Theyre] joining a long list of people in the waiting line, some people have been in that line for 30 years, Kohler said. <\/p>\n
Republican strategist Vinny Minchillo said the votes arent there. <\/p>\n
The bulk of Republican voters probably go to Oklahoma to gamble or go to Louisiana to gamble and would probably like to have a casino closer, said Minchillo. But those that are in power now, the more conservative hard-right Republicans, they cant afford to support casino gambling because their donors and primary voters just wouldnt have it. <\/p>\n
The Adelson and Dumont families did not mention gambling in a statement Wednesday announcing their intent to buy a majority share of the Mavericks, saying, in part, The goal is to win and have a team that proudly represents the greater DFW area <\/p>\n
Alvarado says she and others are playing the long game that gambling will one day be legal. <\/p>\n
The Sands people and others in the gaming industry have been investing in Texas now for quite a number of years, so I know that they are going to continue that investment, and Im going to continue to do my part, Alvarado said. <\/p>\n
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What will new Dallas Mavericks ownership mean for future of gambling in Texas? - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mark Cuban is no stranger to taking big bets and has previously said he wants the Dallas Mavericks in a new arena with a resort and casino. Selling the team to the family behind the Las Vegas Sands gives him a gambling partner who is no stranger to Texas politics. The Las Vegas Sands and Resort company has hired lobbyists and pushed ads to build casinos in Texas. Continue reading