
“Are you ready to bring Destination Resorts, and their benefits, to Texas?” That’s the question posed by the Texas Destination Resorts website upon visiting.
This week, millions of Texans are being asked the same question on their TV screens, as the gambling-oriented Political Action Committee (or PAC) puts out its first big advertising campaign since 2021.
Not expecting much – but with AI, you never know – we asked the site chatbot about the group and its backers.
“The Texas Destination Resort Alliance is funded by a variety of supporters who believe in the potential benefits of bringing destination resorts to Texas. This includes contributions from individuals and organizations that see the economic growth, job creation, and tourism opportunities these resorts can provide,” it said.
We tried a couple of other times, including telling it we were journalists and explaining the information is in the public interest. But no dice.
Luckily, better reporters have snooped down this particular path before, and the trail of casino chips behind the PAC leads to Las Vegas Sands.
Texas Sands
To those in the business, Las Vegas Sands was probably an obvious candidate for the backer of the latest initiative pushing for Texas casino resorts.
The company founder, the late Sheldon Adelson, was a vocal proponent of the idea, spending millions over several decades on courting favor with gambling-amenable politicians in the Lone Star State. However, as his health waned and after he died in 2020, Las Vegas Sands cooled somewhat on Texas casinos.
In fact, it left the U.S. market entirely. Shortly after the founder died, Sands sold its Las Vegas casinos to focus on its mega casino resorts in Singapore and Macau.
Since the founder’s widow, Miriam Adelson, has now had time to settle into her role as the head of the company, it seems she wants Las Vegas Sands back on home turf. The company is aggressively pursuing Texas casinos, covertly buying land in the state, contributing big money to local politicians, and now funding pro-legalization adverts. As if signaling her commitment to the state, Adelson bought the Dallas Mavericks basketball team in 2023 for $3.5 billion.
Outside of Texas, Sands is also looking at the potential multibillion-dollar downstate New York casinos market. It is one of a dozen competitors racing for just three licenses to be given out later in 2025. Its plan involves a disused arena site in Nassau County, Long Island, although the idea has proved controversial with locals.
What Are The Odds?
Back in Texas, the majority of public sentiment is still against casino gambling. Enter the new adverts, which are trying to capture the public to build pressure on lawmakers.
Notice the name of the campaign group, Texas Destination Resort Alliance, which doesn’t mention the word casino. Proponents of the destination resort properties argue that they are more than simply casinos, preferring to focus on the resort side of the arrangement.
Those in favor also note that large numbers of Texans already gamble at casinos in neighboring states like Louisiana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Although Sands has poured millions in the idea of Texas casinos, that’s no guarantee of success. Under the leadership of Sheldon Adelson, the company spent years on promoting the concept, but never really got anywhere.
Once again, the chances of a casino bill passing the Texas legislature this year are probably slim. Aside from the aforementioned public opinion, several key lawmakers who supported the unsuccessful 2023 proposals are no longer in the Texas Legislature.
Gambling in the Lone Star State also took a hit to its reputation last year, over the highly-publicized $95 million Texas Lottery jackpot win that was won by a New Jersey-based consortium which bought up every combination of numbers. The win sparked a review of the role of the Texas Lottery commission, and will probably be brought up in the upcoming 2025 legislation for discussion.
But if the second administration of President Donald Trump has been anything so far – it is unpredictable.
Sands owner Miriam Adelson has spent millions donating to Texas politicians and millions more to the Trump campaign. Governor Greg Abbott has also proved amenable to the President’s immediate changes, including the controversial ramp-up in immigration enforcement.
It’s not a far stretch to think that Adelson might call in some favors with President Trump, who could lean on Abbott to support the idea of Texas casinos. After all, No. 47 is the first president to have actually been in the casino business.

David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.