Texas gambling expansion hopes rise after Lt Gov Patrick's defeat
Democrat Vikki Goodwin's win over Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick removes the official who blocked Texas sports betting and casino bills for years, though a constitutional amendment still faces a Republican-controlled Senate.
The lawmaker who for more than a decade kept gambling legislation off the Texas Senate floor will not return to Austin in 2027, after Democratic state representative Vikki Goodwin unseated Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick on Tuesday, according to SBC Americas.
Patrick's loss formed part of a wider Democratic sweep in Texas. State representative James Talarico was elected to the US Senate, Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott, and Nathan Johnson flipped the attorney general's office, SBC Americas reported.
As lieutenant governor, Patrick presided over the Texas Senate and controlled which bills reached debate, a power he used repeatedly to stop gambling expansion proposals from being considered.
Billionaire Mark Cuban, a Texas resident, told SBC Americas the result "certainly changes the calculus" but said he had "no knowledge of anything that may or may not happen."
Josh Kirschner, a partner at Holland & Knight and deputy leader of its gaming practice, described the outcome as a "sea change," noting that the figure widely seen as the single largest blocker to floor consideration of gambling will now be out of office.
The clearest example of that blocking power came in 2023, when the Texas House passed a constitutional amendment allowing voters to decide on online sports betting by a 101-42 vote, clearing the required two-thirds threshold. Patrick ended the measure's progress within days, citing the lack of Republican support needed to pass bills in the Senate.
In November 2024, Patrick told CBS News Texas that Senate Republicans were not close to having the 15 or 16 votes needed for casinos. No casino or sports betting proposal advanced out of committee in that session.
Brendan Bussmann, managing partner at advisory firm B Global, who has tracked the Texas gambling debate since 2006, told SBC Americas that a 2033 timeline for legalisation "is no longer the case," though he cautioned that what a faster path looks like remains unclear.
Goodwin's elevation does not guarantee a floor vote. Republicans retained their Senate majority, holding 19 seats to the Democrats' 12, even as Democrats flipped the House for the first time since 2003. SBC Americas reported that Republicans could also rewrite chamber rules to limit Goodwin's control over committee appointments and legislation, an idea floated before Patrick's defeat.
Any gambling expansion still requires a constitutional amendment backed by 100 votes in the House and 21 in the Senate, followed by a statewide referendum. Even with unanimous Democratic support in the Senate, backers would need at least nine Republican votes.
Goodwin voted for the 2023 expansion proposals while in the House. In a September 2025 interview with FOX 7 Austin, she argued that Texans should be allowed personal freedom and said a recent survey showed more than half of Texans already gamble, asking why residents should not be allowed to vote on the issue themselves.
Hinojosa's position is less clear. As governor-elect she opposed both 2023 constitutional amendments, and gambling featured little in her campaign, according to SBC Americas.