Should Texas bet on online sports gambling? If so, will lawmakers tax it enough?
Leach stressed the bill would not permit betting on youth sports, and professional athletes and coaches would be prohibited from participating. Eric Schippers, a lobbyist for gaming company Penn Entertainment, said a study by the American Gaming Association found that illegal sports betting is costing states about $700 million in in annual tax revenue.
“We know there’s consistent evidence of an association between gambling and problems like family violence,” Covey said. “Expansion of gambling of any form is addictive and harmful to families.”