Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the Adelson family have sought to influence sports betting and Texas.
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Thirty-seven states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have launched legal betting markets in the past five years. Texas and California, the most populous states, however, have not joined the sports betting boom yet. But Texans are still finding ways to bet. According to estimates by gambling research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, Texans bet $6.23 billion annually on sports, but, without legal options, use local bookies or online sportsbooks located offshore in an untaxed environment.
"While each state, including Texas, gets to decide which gaming offerings are right for its citizens, we do know there is a rampant illegal market and legalization is a path to protecting consumers, providing oversight, and generating tax revenue," Cait DeBaun, vice president of strategic communications for the American Gaming Association, said in a statement to ESPN.