Texas Gaming May Become a Reality as Lt. Gov-Elect Vikki Goodwin Suggests Referendum
Lt. Gov. Vikki Goodwin, the first Democrat to preside over the Texas Senate in almost three decades, seems to have a neutral stance on gambling and favors the idea of allowing voters to decide. At the same time, she said that she believes that prediction markets should be reined in. Goodwin Favors…
Lt. Gov. Vikki Goodwin, the first Democrat to preside over the Texas Senate in almost three decades, seems to have a neutral stance on gambling and favors the idea of allowing voters to decide. At the same time, she said that she believes that prediction markets should be reined in. Goodwin Favors the Idea of a Gambling Referendum In an interview with KSAT 12, Goodwin addressed a variety of issues, including her priorities and stances on a variety of matters. One of these matters was prediction markets and gaming. Speaking about gaming, in particular, Goodwin said that she has a fairly neutral stance and believes that the matter should be decided by the people of the Lone Star State. I’m not for or against. So, my preference would be to put it up to a vote of Texans. Vikki Goodwin Goodwin emphasized that she favors a referendum over legislation. This comes as Rep. Charlie Green just proposed a constitutional amendment to legalize gambling within the state. The Lt. Gov. concluded that, despite her preference for a referendum, she remains open to seeing what other lawmakers propose. Goodwin Also Weighed in on Prediction Markets Goodwin admitted that she is not all that familiar with the prediction markets space. Despite that, she acknowledged the growing concerns surrounding this sector and said that this is something that she is looking forward to working on. Goodwin noted that many people opposed to prediction markets seem to be worried about the sector’s prevalence, ease of access, and appeal among younger people. Because of that, the newly elected Lt. Gov. said that some regulation might make sense. I think the concern I’ve heard is just how prevalent it is, how easy it is to access it on your phone, and the concern that young people in particular might go overboard. So if we need to put some regulation in place, I certainly look forward to working with senators on that issue. Vikki Goodwin Texan Authorities Crack Down on Illegal Machines In other Texas-related news, local authorities just cracked down on several illegal gambling dens, seizing eight-liner machines from locations across the City of Galveston, Texas City, and La Marque. Officials added that four people have been charged with organized criminal activity.