New casino bill proposed in Texas

Texas lawmaker Joe Deshotel said that he will push for a change in state laws for allowing casinos to operate alongside the Texas coast. The proceeds from the casinos would fund the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA).

The legislator said that the idea is to reduce the need to constantly increase insurance premiums for windstorm insurance, KIII News reported. The bill would require an amendment to the state Constitution to allow gambling in specific areas, such as Nueces County, Jefferson, and Galveston.

Representative Todd Hunter said that before any decisions on the bill are made they have to review the potential revenue benefits from casinos to TWIA. “That will trigger on whether you’ve got to look at revenue measures or can you sustain what you have in the budget,” he said.

While there are no official estimations on how much money it would go to TWIA, the bill would include the number and would be discussed in the upcoming legislative session in 2019.

Moreover, he revealed that the bill would legalise greyhound and horse racing tracks in Harris and Bear counties.