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Guest Column The Post

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As we ready for the start of the 89th Texas Legislature, one issue that has been circling the Capitol for several years is whether to expand casino gambling in Texas. Members have filed various bills over the years to test the waters, but there’s been very little movement so far.

One thing that seems lacking is much research on what would happen in Texas if gambling were expanded. That’s where TPPF comes in. This week, we published a new study to help lawmakers understand the potential effects of making a policy change.

In short: expanded gambling would raise new state tax revenue, but also comes with a commensurate increase in associated social problems, such as gambling addiction, mental illness, and crime.

For example, TPPF’s Chief of Research Derek Cohen estimates Texas could see upwards of $834 million in new state tax revenue per year from the industry. Economically speaking, however, this isn’t necessarily “new” money as many casino visitors will spend less in their budget on other forms of entertainment, like dining out, movies, or live music. 

Further, if our experiences were like that of other states that have recently expanded gambling, the increase in revenue would be accompanied by a ten-fold increase in “problem gambling.”

And while $834 million sounds like a lot, it’s important to keep that number in perspective. Texas spends $93 billion on public education each year. Dedicating every dollar of gambling revenue to education would provide less than four days of funding for public schools.

Still, many supporters of gambling might say every dollar helps, plus it would create jobs and generate residual economic activity that would benefit communities even outside of what it contributes to state coffers.

However, one might ask, if Texas needs more revenue and jobs, isn’t there another way – a “Texas way” – to accomplish that without allowing a known danger into our communities?

It’s an interesting debate and one that Texas and Texans will likely have soon. It’s critical that we have a foundation of facts on which to determine the future of this issue.

Brian Phillips

Chief Communications Officer

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