Texas was the white whale to the late Sheldon Adelson’s Captain Ahab. He could not conquer the beast — getting the state to legalize widespread gambling. Now, his widow, Miriam Adelson, has inherited that quest. Despite bundles of campaign cash and buying a professional basketball team, the efforts still aren’t working. 

Extraordinary lobbying efforts and big campaign contributions centered on legalizing casinos in Texas have emboldened the state’s anti-gaming community and are actively hurting the chances that the Lone Star State will legalize sports betting next year.

That’s according to a monthly report on sports betting in the U.S. by analysts from Southern California advisory firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, which removed Texas from its list of states “likely to legalize sports betting in 2025.” The firm believes ramped-up gambling opposition would keep the state — the second largest behind California without legal sports betting — on the sidelines.

The analysts blame Las Vegas Sands Corp., which has spent millions of dollars during the past decade on failed efforts to legalize casinos in Texas. The company is again spearheading a push for a casino bill heading into the state’s biennial legislative session.

Read more at The Nevada Independent