Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says Texas has a better shot at legal sports betting after an election that replaced both its governor and lieutenant governor. Speaking three days after the vote, Jones called legalization “a plus” for the state and said he hopes the turnover in Austin leads lawmakers to see it that way.
His comments don’t change the legal path, which remains long. But they land at an unusual moment, with the official who blocked every gambling bill for years about to leave office.
Jones made the remarks Friday during his weekly segment on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. Asked about the election, he described himself as apolitical and said his interest comes down to what benefits the Cowboys and their fans. He did not describe any outreach to the incoming officials.
Jones also said concerns about game integrity long kept the NFL from getting involved in sports betting, a stance the league has since softened. He has backed legalization before. In 2024, Jones said Texas was losing huge amounts of revenue by not allowing sports betting, and in 2021 he said gambling could eventually become common in the state.
Democrat Vikki Goodwin defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Tuesday. Patrick presides over the Texas Senate, appoints its committees and controls which bills move, and he used that power to keep gambling measures from advancing. The Senate never took up the sports betting amendment the House passed in 2023, and another push stalled in 2025.
Democrat Gina Hinojosa also defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, and the election produced key wins for Democrats in other statewide contests. Pre-election market prices had favored both Republican incumbents.
Goodwin has said the decision should be left to Texas voters, and she wants to put online casinos and online sports betting on a future ballot. She has also pointed to the tax revenue they could generate.
Hinojosa’s position is less clear. She voted against the 2023 sports betting amendment in the House and has not offered a gambling proposal of her own. The governor can advocate for legislation but cannot put an amendment on the ballot.
Texas is one of 11 states with no legal sports betting, and among those states, only one has a larger population. Legalizing it would take a constitutional amendment, which requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers before going to voters. The House approved a 2023 version, 101-42, just above the threshold.
Even with Patrick gone, the calendar is slow. The Legislature convenes for its regular session on January 12, 2027, and an amendment that passed would still need a statewide vote and a regulatory framework afterward. Analysts have put the earliest launch around 2029.
The first sign will be whether a new Senate leadership assigns a gambling resolution to a committee for a hearing at all. After that, supporters need two-thirds of senators, and Republicans are expected to remain the larger caucus.
Jones has been a visible supporter, but the legislative math, not public comments from team owners, will decide the outcome.
