Have The First Shots Been Fired In The Gambling War Of The 80th Lege?

There has been much speculation about when and if gambling issues would rise to the surface during the 80th Legislature set to convent in January.

And, State Senator Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) seems to have fired the first shot in the oncoming gambling war.

As innocuous as it may seem, a lot may hinge on an opinion request she made on October 24 asking Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to determine if “electronic pull-tab bingo” could be legalized for non-profit organizations presently allowed under the Texas constitution to hold bingo games.

In her opinon request, Nelson says it is her belief that this kind of gambling cannot be allowed without amending the state constitution.

This isn’t the first time “electronic pull-tab bingo,” has reared its head in the Lege. In 2005 during the 79th Regular, Ken Armbrister offered Floor Amendment No. 25 to HB 3 wich would have authorized it to be conducted by non-profits presently authorized to do bingo under the Texas Occupations Code.

Nelson contends that “electronic pull-tab bingo” is not “a legitimate form of bingo game that the legislature may authorize under current Section 47(b).”

She’s refering to Subection(b) of Section 47, Article III of the Texas Constutition that regulates and authorizes bingo to be conducted by religious organizations, volunteer fire deparments, nonprofit veterans organizations and other non-profits.
Nelson also brings up the issue of state-run vodeo lottery terminals which Abbott has previously did not fall under the provisions of the state constitution that authorize the state lottery.
Nelson is evidently contending that electronicpull-tab bingo is more like a video lottery terminal than bingo:

“What Floor Amendment No. 24 describes as “electronic pull-tab bingo” has no relation to the game BI commonly nown as bingo when the voters approved the constitutional amendment in 1980. While the use of techonolgy to assist in the conduct of bingo is not necessarily inconsistent with the oroginal conception of the game of ‘bingo,’ it is unlikely that the voters would have imagined in 1980 taht by approving the legalization of bingo games tthey would be aproving the play of solitary wagering on a computer terminal that has more in commin with playing a slot machine than particupating in a communlan pingo game.”

This is indeed the first salvo in a war over gambling this session.

If you tackle electronic tab-bingo, you’ve got to do someting about 8-liners. And if 8-liners are legalized, VLT’s would have to be legalized (or appropriate constitutional amendments for their legalization put forward)…and we’re one more giant step toward casino gambling in some form or fashion.

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