The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas is telling the state Senate that they would seek full casino gaming operations in the state if there's no control on online lottery ticket sales.
In a letter sent to the Senate State Affairs Committee last month, the Kickapoo said that online courier services are “operating contrary to the law and representing an expansion of gambling in the state” and therefore they are calling for a prohibition on those operations. State law prohibits sales by anyone who is not a sales agent or an employee of a sales agent. According to the Texas Lottery Commission, it does not sell tickets online as that is handled instead by couriers.
Political consultant Bill Miller told KTRH News that it's unlikely there will be action from state lawmakers on the matter in the next legislative session.
"If you line up gaming interests, online gaming is ahead of casino gaming so if anything happens online then casino gaming might have a chance," said Miller.
Online gaming was passed in the Texas House last session but the bill was not taken up by the Senate and Miller doesn't see it as a top priority for lawmakers in 2025 either.
"Right now, I don't think online gaming is going to happen," he said. "The Senate is opposed and it's a hard vote for people to vote for something and then it doesn't happen and so the House won't take it up again as far as I can tell."
It's also possible that potential casinos wouldn't even be held on reservations. Miller believes the tribe is taking the wrong approach to the situation.
"There's litigation and court fights ahead and if that's what the tribe wants to do they'll spend a fortune doing it and maybe they'll win, maybe they won't we'll see," Miller said.