Faltering Texas gambling bills a jackpot for Oklahoma
THACKERVILLE, Okla. -- It's easy to forget you're in Oklahoma at the WinStar World Casino.
Cars, trucks and SUVs with Texas plates fill the parking lot.
Dozens of gray-haired Texans file off a bus with "Dallas Coach" printed on the side, arriving for "Senior Wednesday" and the casino's free breakfast for elderly patrons.
Most of the casino employees are from Texas, too, commuting from North Texas cities like Sherman.
It's enough to make Max Davis of Haslet, who drives up Interstate 35 to Oklahoma twice a week, speak bluntly about his home state.
"Texas has got to be the dumbest state in the country," he said. "Here we are right across the Red River, and everyone is just coming over to spend money. We just decided to miss out on a bonanza."
Casinos are illegal in Texas. And despite another strong push to let voters decide whether they want casinos and slot machines, the movement within the 2011 Legislature to legalize gambling is on life-support.
A House bill that would have allowed slot machines at Indian reservations and racetracks now appears dead, supporters and opponents agree. A Senate bill that would allow casinos is seriously endangered, but Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, who endorses casinos as a way to generate badly needed revenue, has managed to keep it alive for now.
"There has been a lot of movement in the last few days," said Jeremy Warren, Ellis' spokesman. "At this late date it would be difficult, but the stars seem to be aligning to give us a bit of a realistic chance."
Texans spend about $2.5 billion a year gambling in neighboring states, according to Texans for Economic Development, the group behind the sarcastically titled "Thank You Texas!" website, in which other states -- especially Oklahoma and Louisiana -- are depicted as thanking Texas for sending money their way.
Opponents say legalized gambling fails to produce the long-term revenue that supporters promise and instead enriches casino operators and stockholders. It leads to crime and bankruptcy and targets people on fixed income and other populations that can least afford to lose money, Texans Against Gambling says.
Proponents argue that since Texans are gambling anyway, it makes no sense to force them a few miles across the border. Not surprisingly, Texans arriving Wednesday at the WinStar were frustrated with Texas' refusal to change the law.
Robert Cambron of Arlington said he makes about 20 trips a year to casinos in Oklahoma or Louisiana. His wife, who is retired, makes about 40 trips. The Cambrons spent three days at the WinStar last week.
"Isn't it obvious people want casinos in Texas by how many are going to them in other states?" Cambron said. "I've been following the news and how it looked like gambling might have a chance, but now it sounds like they're going to blow it again."
The Cambrons aren't concerned just with raising state revenue. They'd like to help their own budget, too.
"It would save us a lot of driving and a lot of gas if we could just head off to a casino around D-FW," he said.
WinStar is well aware of the role Texans play in its success. An estimated 95 percent of patrons are from North Texas, except during the holidays, when more people from other states are passing by, spokeswoman Kym Koch said.
The steady crowds have fueled growth at the sprawling complex, which has game rooms themed with statues and fountains from different cities around the world. It is about a half-mile walk from the New York room to the London room.
A Best Western hotel has risen near the casino, as has a business park with a pawnshop and a medical clinic.
The casino's 3,000-seat Global Event Center draws big-name entertainers like Kid Rock, Jeff Dunham and Nelly. It has a 225-acre golf course and a 395-room attached hotel.
Could slot machines at Texas racetracks compete with that?
"Well, it probably could for my wife because she plays slots," said Joe Brewer of Sherman, at WinStar with his wife, Ann. "But I like poker, so we'd probably still come here now and then. We're retired and just looking for something to do."
Even the Texas Gaming Association opposes permitting slot machines only at racetracks, saying it would allow a monopoly on gambling revenue in Texas. WinStar visitors agreed that luxury casinos are necessary to keep gamblers in state.
"If you're going to convince people to come spend a few days and a few nights, you need the big casino," said Milford Griffin, a Dallas retiree. "I'd be happy to stop driving up here, if I had another place like this to go.
"Until then, I'll be in Oklahoma."