Texas Rep. Charlie Geren, a Fort Worth Republican, filed House Joint Resolution 52 on Nov. 9, beginning another effort to put casino gambling and sports wagering before the state’s voters. The proposed constitutional amendment would appear on the Nov. 2, 2027, ballot if it first secures two-thirds support in both chambers of the Legislature.
The resolution would not itself legalize casinos or sports betting. Instead, it would empower the Legislature to authorize and strictly regulate both activities through subsequent general laws, leaving lawmakers to define the activities and determine where casino facilities and sports wagering could operate.
Under the introduced text published by Texas Legislature Online, operators would require licenses and pay application fees. Casino gaming would be confined to a licensed operator’s physical premises in Texas, with no more than 10 licensed casino facilities statewide and initial license terms of at least 40 years.
The proposal would cap the tax on casino-gaming and sports-wagering revenue at 15%. It would also bar additional state or local taxes and fees specifically imposed on that revenue, apart from generally applicable business taxes or fees. At the request of any of the state’s three federally recognized tribes with Indian lands in Texas, the state would have to negotiate and execute a Tribal-State gaming compact in good faith.
The constitutional route poses a high legislative hurdle. The measure needs at least 100 votes in the 150-member House and 21 in the 31-member Senate before it can reach voters. Democrats won control of the House in the Nov. 3 election, but Republicans retained the Senate, holding 19 seats to Democrats’ 12. Even unanimous Democratic support in the Senate would therefore require at least nine Republican votes.
Geren’s past efforts illustrate the difficulty. In 2023, an online sports-betting proposal passed the House with 101 votes, while Geren’s casino resolution received 92, short of the constitutional threshold. His 2025 HJR 137 was referred to the House State Affairs Committee in March and never received a full House vote; casino and sports-betting resolutions filed by other legislators that year also did not leave committee.
Texas permits a state lottery, horse and greyhound racing, and some tribal casinos, while gambling otherwise remains largely illegal. Geren told the Star-Telegram that a voter rejection would settle the question permanently: “If they say ‘no,’ then we’re done with it forever.”
The 90th Legislature convenes on Jan. 12, 2027, when HJR 52 can begin its bid for the required supermajorities.
