“Electronic Gaming Machines (EGM)”, AKA Online Sports Betting and Casinos – “Crack Cocaine of Gambling”?
By Rev. Dave Welch, President, Texas Pastor Council
Texas Pastors, there are a number of critical issues that need our collective voice in the 2023 Texas Legislative Session, and we cannot overlook this one.
Texas is facing a historic, major multimillion-dollar offensive by Las Vegas gambling interests who rake in billions of dollars from low and middle-income families via online and EGM-based sports betting and, of course, building massive, glorious casinos. Having spent over thirty years studying this issue from biblical, constitutional and practical perspectives, it is my firm conviction that this would bring great harm to the people of this state.
How is it that nobody can point to people achieving personal success, family stability, social improvement or overall economic growth by the introduction of sports betting or introducing casino gambling…yet for decades we can measure the direct harm? We are sold a line that “billions of dollars are leaving Texas” for casinos out of state. What would we actually be bringing in?
Remember the marketing gimmick when state lotteries were sold to citizens that public education would reap massive amounts of funding from this “voluntary” process? Where is all the money? Why have lotteries now been dubbed as “regressive tax on the poor” by industry economic analysts? Why should we we believe the same dog and pony show, bait and switch propaganda now, that online sports betting and building casinos all over Texas will be some tax and jobs panacea? Even if it were, is the cost worth the “gain”?
Online sports betting and casino gambling are predatory businesses that thrive by pirating money from household income via diverting money from food, clothing, education and other esssentials, in order to create the façade of economic benefit, based on both common sense and decades of economic studies.
Please read below for just a partial summary of massive amounts of such resources available (TXPC will be providing much more in conjunction with other allies) to raise the red flag on the massive expansion of gambling in Texas.
Once you review the info, please contact the State Representative and State Senator serving the district where your church resides (CLICK HERE TO DETERMINE LEGISLASTOR INFO), and urge your legislator to NOT vote for or sponsor legislation supporting the legalization of online sports betting or casino gambling!
