Texans Considering Slot Machines

It seems everywhere you look there is an ad for someone in Texas to come to Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, etc. to play their slot machines. They even send busses to pick up the Texans to take them to their casinos so that they can play the slot machines or table games that they offer. Some Texans think it is about time they stopped sending their money across the state line into their slot machines, and legalize some of their own.

However, the state is conservative in nature, and any attempts thus far to bring slot machines to the state has been met with anti-gambling force. There is no state income tax, and many rank slot machines right up there with the idea of starting to tax them. The problem is that many feel that they don’t need the slot machines, and to bring them in would be bringing in social ills that they just cannot afford. The budget currently has a $14.3 billion surplus, and opponents say why bring in slot machines when it is obvious we don’t need them – just go across state line and play them over there.

The Governor said he has tried to legalize slot machines before, as he wanted to see an increase in the funding for public schools. However, he was shot down and the slot machines were not legalized. The Texas Gaming Association says that millions of dollars of Texans’ money is going across the state line, why not keep it here – but the Legislature is full of conservatives who will not allow slot machines to be legalized.

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