Houston Chronicle Op Ed: Mattress Mack: It’s time for the Texas Legislature to legalize sports betting

March 10, 2021
Mattress Mac, Jim McIngvale, is photographed with fans before Game 4 of the World Series at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019.
Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

In early February, I hopped on a plane, flew to Colorado and placed a bet on the Super Bowl on my smartphone at the airport. Why Colorado? Because sports betting is illegal in Texas.

I enjoy watching my favorite teams play, and I have placed millions in legal sports bets in other states. While my Super Bowl bet was successful, many of my wagers have not been so successful, and those bets were taxed to benefit the people living in those states.

As a proud Texan, I would much rather have the tax revenue from my bets directly benefit the people of Texas.

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