Dallas would be the top destination for a casino resort if the bills become law.
Updated at 1:12 p.m. with statements from the Sports Betting Alliance and Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston.
AUSTIN — Two state lawmakers are backing bipartisan legislation that seeks to legalize casino gambling and sports betting in Texas.
The bills by state Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin, and Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, would allow four casino resorts to be built in Austin, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston and San Antonio and would also legalize sports wagering. The state’s three federally-recognized Indian tribes would also be able to expand full-fledged gambling, including slot machines, on their land, a right the state has long denied them.