One $500,000 donation by the casino advocacy group funded by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. has made it the single largest donor in the runoff election for the Texas Railroad Commission, the department largely responsible for regulating the oil and gas industry.
Texas voters heading to the polls in the Republican Primary Runoff Election for the Texas Railroad Commission are getting a fresh look at how big-money players from the gambling world are trying to shape even the most obscure corners of state government.
Incumbent Commissioner Jim Wright just reported a $500,000 contribution from Texas Sands PAC, the latest in what has become a pattern of heavy spending by casino-backed groups and predatory gambling interests in Texas elections.1
Right off the bat, the donation looks out of place. The Railroad Commission’s core job is regulating oil and gas production, pipelines, and mining. It has nothing to do with gambling or casino bills and legalization. Yet a PAC funded directly by Las Vegas Sands, the Chinese-centered casino giant, has decided half a million dollars is a smart investment in Wright’s reelection.
This is not Texas Sands PAC’s first big check in Texas politics. The group, pushing hard for full-scale casino expansion, has dropped millions across different races in recent cycles. In fact. Texas Sands PAC and its ally, Texas Defense PAC, reportedly spent a combined $3.5 million in support of one pro-casino candidate during a Texas Senate special election late last year. They’ve backed candidates in primaries and generally worked to shift the balance in Austin toward politicians who would open the door to predatory gambling. Now their impact and influence appear to be reaching into statewide regulatory offices.
Wright’s campaign reports2 show the $500,000 was the largest single contribution in the Republican Primary Runoff filing period, to date. His report says he raised nearly $1.94 million and spent close to $1.88 million during that window. Early voting for the May 26 runoff runs May 18-22, so the timing puts this money to work right away.
Texans for Fiscal Responsibility launched The Texas Anti-Predatory Gambling Alliance (TAPGA) last year. TAPGA is a project of TFR dedicated to preserving Texas’ prohibition on predatory gambling in every form and protecting taxpayers and families from the long list of harms that come with the expansion of gambling in the Lone Star State.
You can help advance TFR’s mission and projects like TAPGA by making a generous donation on our website.
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The 2024 Republican Party of Texas platform says the following in Plank 65:
“Gambling: We oppose any expansion of gambling, including legalized casino gambling… We call on all Republican legislators to decline campaign contributions from gambling PACs and lobbyists…”
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