Casino gaming in Texas

[coyotes_geek]

Bills were filed yesterday for the upcoming state legislative session. This particular one on casino gaming looks pretty interesting to me. Historically, these bills are DOA. But, with the financial times being what they are, the potential tax revenues are going to be harder to ignore than ever before. This bill specifically hits on some key catch phrases like "education funding" and "property tax relief".


83R842 YDB-F

By: Ellis S.J.R. No. 6


A JOINT RESOLUTION
proposing a constitutional amendment providing immediate
additional revenue for the state budget by creating the Texas
Gaming Commission, authorizing and regulating the operation of
casino games and slot machines by a limited number of licensed
operators and certain Indian tribes, and authorizing a limited
state video lottery system to be operated at horse and greyhound
racetracks and on Indian tribal lands.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Article III, Texas Constitution, is amended by
adding Section 47a to read as follows:
Sec. 47a. (a) Casino gaming and slot gaming are authorized
in this state in accordance with this section to provide additional
money for the property tax relief fund and additional financial aid
for higher education students.



(f) The Texas Gaming Commission shall:
(1) issue not more than eight licenses to operate slot
establishments in this state to persons who are licensed to conduct
pari-mutuel wagering on horse or greyhound races at the location
licensed for conducting pari-mutuel wagering on horse or greyhound
races and who comply with requirements of this section and
commission rule;
(2) issue not more than six licenses to conduct casino
gaming to casino-anchored destination attraction development
projects located in different urban areas of this state that comply
with requirements of this section and commission rule;




(h) To ensure that a requisite level of economic development
benefiting the people of this state accompanies each casino or slot
establishment for which an owner's license is granted, the Texas
Gaming Commission shall require an applicant, as a condition to
receiving and holding an owner's license, to commit to building a
casino-anchored destination attraction development project or slot
establishment that includes total land and development costs of at
least:
(1) $400 million for an urban area project;
(2) $200 million for an island tourist destination
project; or
(3) $150 million for a slot establishment.

(i) Notwithstanding Subsection (f) of this section:
(1) a license for a casino-anchored destination
attraction development project may not be issued in a county
unless:
(A) a majority of the voters of the county voted
for the proposition that added this section to this constitution;
or
(B) the voters of the county have approved a
proposition legalizing casino gaming at a local option election
held under this section;
(2) not more than two casino owner's licenses may be
issued for casinos to be located in the same county;



(j) The Texas casino and slot gaming fund is a special fund
in the state treasury. All application fees, investigation fees,
and license fees collected by the Texas Gaming Commission or on the
commission's behalf related to casino and slot gaming shall be
deposited to the credit of the Texas casino and slot gaming fund.
Except as provided by this section, the Texas casino and slot gaming
fund may only be used for the operation of the commission and the
administration of this section. If the money in the fund exceeds
the amount necessary for the operation of the commission and the
administration of this section, the legislature shall transfer any
excess amount to the dedicated account known as the property tax
relief fund in the general revenue fund. Money from the property
tax relief fund may only be appropriated for a purpose that results
in a reduction of the average school district maintenance and
operations tax rate or as otherwise provided by general law.

(k) An applicant applying for an owner's license for a
casino-anchored destination attraction development project must
submit to the Texas Gaming Commission a $50 million application
fee. An applicant applying for an owner's license for a slot
establishment must submit to the commission a $25 million
application fee. If an applicant is not awarded an owner's license,
the commission shall refund the application fee less the costs
incurred by the commission in reviewing the application and
conducting a criminal background investigation on the applicant.
(l) A casino gaming tax in an amount equal to 15 percent of
the gross gaming revenue of the casino operated under the license is
imposed on each holder of a casino owner's license. The tax shall be
computed and paid on a monthly basis in accordance with the
procedures established by rule of the Texas Gaming Commission.
(m) A slot gaming tax in an amount equal to 35 percent of the
gross slot income of the slot establishment operated under the
license is imposed on each holder of a slot establishment owner's
license. The tax shall be computed and paid on a monthly basis in
accordance with the procedures established by rule of the Texas
Gaming Commission.
(n) Of the revenue from the taxes imposed by Subsections (l)
and (m) of this section:
(1) one-thirtieth of the revenue is allocated to the
municipality in which the casino to which the license relates is
located and one-thirtieth of the revenue is allocated to the county
in which the casino to which the license relates is located; or




(t) The commissioners court of a county may at any time
order an election to legalize casino gaming under this section in
that county.



(cc) Unless specifically authorized by general law, a
political subdivision of this state may not impose:
(1) a tax on the payment of a casino or slot prize;
(2) a tax, fee, or other assessment on consideration
paid to play a casino or slot game authorized by this section; or
(3) a tax or fee on attendance at or admission to a
casino or slot establishment authorized by this section.


http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/html/SJ00006I.htm

[coyotes_geek]

Granted I don't see this making it to a vote, let alone passing during this particular session, but I do think casino gambling in Texas is inevitable. Texans are already gambling and sooner or later our legislature is going to want to try and keep that money in-state.

[baseline bum]

Casinos and lotteries are the tax on the poor that you'd think the right would love.

[DarrinS]

Casinos and lotteries are the tax on the poor that you'd think the right would love.

Gasoline and "sin" taxes are very regressive too.

[DMX7]

Casinos and lotteries are the tax on the poor that you'd think the right would love.

Yeah, but wealthy people play at casinos where as they don't play the lotto.

[Jacob1983]

Casinos= jobs



Neo-cons are dumbasses.

[mouse]

What I find to be a major contradiction in San Antonio is there are no 25 cent slot machines allowed but there are "50 Dollar" scratch tickets?

Your not allowed to place 8.00 dollars on a roulette wheel with 36 numbers but you can spend 50 dollars on a piece a paper that has 1 in 5000 odds?

That's like saying you cant smoke weed but you can buy all the guns and whiskey you need.

[Jacob1983]

Silly neo-cons

[CosmicCowboy]

A downtown casino district in San Antonio would be amazing. They could do a riverwalk extension from the old Ursiline Academy under Main Avenue to the 25 acre Fox Tech High School campus and have a killer casino district connected to the riverwalk. With our bilingual culture we would OWN the high roller Mexican National traffic ( a huge market) that currently goes to Vegas.

[Capt Bringdown]

The Jesus Critters won't allow it.

[coyotes_geek]

The Jesus Critters won't allow it.

The Jesus Critters (as well as all the anti-gambling lobbyists sent here by Texas' pro-gambling neighbors Louisiana and Oklahoma) have certainly dominated politician's attention on this issue up to this point. But when you start lining up all the interests that would like to see several billion dollars worth of economic development, thousands of jobs, more money for higher education and lower property taxes, it's got to be pretty hard for our politicians to completely blow them off.

[scott]

Some inside baseball:

For a hint at how serious this will be, pay attention to committee assignments. In the past, these issues went to Licensing & Administrative Procedures in the House, Business & Commerce in the Senate. This gains traction over the years, with some very wealthy people interested, and there is talk that these issues could be re-assigned to a different or even new committee. If that happens, it's because the state is giving it more serious thought.

[boutons_deux]

The Jesus Critters won't allow it.

agreed, but enough of them are hypocritical venal assholes that they'll allow gambling's filthy lucre. Wealthiness is next to (American) godliness.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Casinos= jobs



Neo-cons are dumbasses.

u forget the major impact it has on families and the community, thats if u live in a household that has gambling problems and shit....the amount of money the casinos make, compared to what they pay in taxes and back into the community whether its support groups and services is very limited....

ive seen many families lose everything from houses to businesses, broken families and relationships just cause of a stupid casino, yes the casino operators didnt put a gun to ur head to gamble, but its there....