AUSTIN, Texas—When Saul Malek was a sophomore at Trinity University in San Antonio, an acquaintance messaged him asking him to join a sportsbook.
“I won that first bet. And even though it was like $10, I felt like I was on top of the world, higher than ever before,” said Malek, a 2020 graduate.
What you need to know A House panel heard several proposed bills and resolutions that would allow destination casinos in Texas and legalize mobile sports betting
The legislation includes certain safeguards and allocates 2% of the tax revenue generated by gambling to the research and treatment of gambling addiction.
Proponents of legalized sports betting point out it would create thousands of jobs and bring in millions in state revenue
The reproduction of this feeling turned into a gambling addiction. Malek started placing multiple bets on the same match.
“I physically couldn’t bear to bet on an entire game because I needed faster action,” he said. “I needed more bets.”
He lost $20,000 and is still paying it back. He went to his first recovery meeting in 2018, but didn’t take it seriously until a mentor talked him into getting clean.
“It really opened my eyes to the level of hopelessness I was in, and I felt suicidal, and I really had no hope,” Malek said. “And I decided [I just] I had to try something else, because my life was really off track there.
He bought his last scratch ticket on July 13, 2019 and hasn’t played since. Now, Malek is studying clinical mental health counseling at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. His goal is to be a therapist so he can help clients, especially those with a gambling addiction.
As Malek studies to help those addicted to gambling, state lawmakers seek to legalize sports betting in Texas. In a multi-hour hearing this week, a House panel heard several proposed bills and resolutions that would allow destination casinos in Texas and legalize mobile sports betting. Lawmakers leading the effort say illegal sports gambling is already rampant in Texas and regulation would help protect consumers.
“We can, I believe, with this bill, put in place a framework and parameters that promote transparency, the right protections and accountability,” said Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who filed a draft bill to legalize mobile sports betting for adults over 21.
The legislation contains certain safeguards. It states that 2% of tax revenue generated from gambling would go to research and treatment of gambling addiction.
Proponents of legalized sports betting point out that it would create thousands of jobs and bring in millions in state revenue. An estimate from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming shows that Texas will generate nearly $70 million in year one and over $180 million in year five. The Sports Betting Alliance says legalization will also make sports betting safer than it is now.
“It’s estimated that there are over $6 billion in illegal betting placed in Texas each year, so we know it’s here,” said Cara Gustafson, spokeswoman for the Sports Betting Alliance. “And when you use these illegal offshore apps, you won’t get the help you need. You will not receive this message urging you to bet responsibly. But if we legalize it and have a legal market for mobile sports betting, we can step in and help people who might need it.
A 2021 study by the National Association of Administrators for Disordered Gambling Services reveals that approximately 2.2% of adults in Texas would manifest a gambling problem. That’s over 485,000 people.
“This is where it’s more important than ever to promote safer gambling practices,” said Devin Mills, president of the Texas Coalition on Problem Gambling (TXCPG). He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences at Texas Tech University.
“Texans gamble, even though there isn’t the presence of casinos to the extent of other states,” Mills said. “We know that 81% of adults in Texas gamble. We have one of the most profitable lotteries in the state, which of course funds education and veterans. These are definitely good things. But we have individuals who play. We have individuals from Texas who cross state lines and play in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, etc., and they actually request services from those states because there is a lack of services being provided in Texas… As they are considering the bills I hope they consider expanding access to care as in all likelihood there will be an increase in problem gambling and gambling related harms whether access is increased over the next two years, even if sooner. ”
TXCPG recommends that legislators host a problem gambling hotline, create awareness campaigns and educational programs, develop responsible gambling programs, organize training for gambling counselors, and partner with experts to conduct research.
A Texas Politics Project poll shows that 39% of Texans say gambling laws should be less strict.
“It’s not a groundswell, and it’s not quite a critical mass in public opinion, which has been one of the hurdles that advocates of the game have faced,” said Jim Henson, project manager.
Malek isn’t afraid to relapse, but he fears other young adults will start betting if the bill passes.
“It’s all designed to foster an addictive process in someone’s mind,” Malek said. “So it’s scary. It’s scary that a lot of kids, I think, are taking part in it.
If the bill passes, it will still need to be approved by voters. But Henson said he would bet against a gambling bill passing this legislative session.
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