Gambling

A bill that would have affirmed the legality of some popular fantasy sports sites in Texas died this legislative session, continuing a murky legal landscape for players in the state.

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In a hearing Tuesday, the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures approved a bill that would affirm the legality of online fantasy sports.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants a lawsuit filed against his office by fantasy sports site DraftKings moved to Travis County. 

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The Texas Racing Commission's latest vote on a new form of gambling was a 4-4 tie. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar could break that deadlock this week, but he isn't saying how he might vote — or whether he will vote at all.

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When it comes to gambling, state officials act like they're running a monopoly. Their actions would be familiar to any mobster protecting a numbers racket.

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While placing bets in fantasy sports leagues may involve skill, there is still an element of chance that would equate such leagues with illegal gambling in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a nonbinding opinion released Tuesday.

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State Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Denton, has asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in on whether daily fantasy sports websites such as DraftKings.com and FanDuel.com are legal in Texas.

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If lawmakers do nothing to restore the budget of the Texas Racing Commission, the agency will shut down. If it shuts down, the tracks around the state are barred from conducting any wagering. They can sell sodas, but not much else.

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In a victory for racetracks and a rebuff to state lawmakers, the Texas Racing Commission on Tuesday declined to outlaw historical racing in the state.

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Legislation related to abortion and gay marriage led to some contentious debates during the 84th legislative session. Use our Texas Legislative Guide to see what lawmakers decided on social issues this session.

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Texas lawmakers added more than 800 proposals Friday to the agenda ahead of the bill-filing deadline. After Friday, lawmakers have to get approval from their chambers to file a bill. 

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State Sen. Joan Huffman acknowledges that a lobby firm with ties to casino interests helped her draft a GOP caucus letter blasting a proposal to allow expanded gambling at horse tracks. Now a major proponent of the tracks is crying foul.

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State District Judge Lora Livingston has ruled that the Texas Racing Commission did not have the authority to allow the installation of historical racing machines — which critics call glorified slot machines — at Texas racetracks. 

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Five Republican nominees for seats in the Texas Senate voiced public opposition Monday to a proposal that would allow a controversial new form of betting on horse races in Texas.

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The Texas Racing Commission voted Tuesday to take steps toward allowing state racetracks to tap into a controversial technology known as historical racing.

 

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After a crackdown a few years ago in Laredo, gaming halls are on the rise again. But local officials aren't quite on the same page about whether to enforce the gambling laws or to try to change them.

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The legislative session is in its last month and most bills will die. But setbacks for the big stuff — water, transportation and the like — are usually temporary.

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This week in the Newsreel: An effort to legalize casinos is under way in the Texas Senate, Attorney General Greg Abbott wants a redistricting bill, and some lawmakers want to give drug tests to recipients of unemployment and TANF benefits. 

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The effort to open casinos in Texas got a hearing from a Texas Senate committee Wednesday, but opposition remains strong and charitable groups that benefit from other games of chance have some concerns, too.

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On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: In the past, bills pushing to expand gambling in Texas have either had the support of casinos or race tracks, not both. But this year is different.

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