A taxpayer-funded lobbying organization appears to be preparing for a 2027 casino legalization push, with a focus on building two casinos in North Texas.
While Texans have repeatedly rejected expanding gambling, local governments appear to be using tax dollars to advance such interests. Despite multiple attempts, state lawmakers have yet to ban the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying.
Texas Scorecard obtained first drafts of academic papers from the North Texas Commission, which Transparency USA has identified as a taxpayer-funded lobbying operation.
Both papers discuss the topic of casino gambling, but from different perspectives.
Bernard Weinstein and Terry Clower drafted a casino impact report promoting alleged economic benefits of casinos. University of Texas at Dallas researchers Natalia Lamberova and Timothy Bray drafted “The Social Impact of Casino Gaming in North Texas,” with the assistance of UT-Dallas students in Fall 2025.
