Texas

Many states around America—36 to be exact (plus Washington D.C.)—already have legal sports betting markets. Texas, however, remains one of the few states that have not kept up with the times. Jones is encouraging lawmakers to consider the positives that would come from reversing the precedent.

Democratic Senator Carol Alvarado has created a proposal, known as Senate Joint Resolution 17, which calls for citizens to vote on the future of both casinos and brick-and-mortar sports betting facilities. She has introduced similar plans off and on since 2009 and is renewing her commitment on the back of recent expansions in the gambling community.

Perry’s newfound support for sports betting is a surprise to those who kept up with his political career. The longtime servant to Texans voted against gambling expansion in 1986 and expressed anti-gambling sentiments in a letter to Congress in 2014.