By Peter Churchman

It’s a tradition in many Texas households to watch “the game” as part of the family gathering that occurs on Thanksgiving. There are a number of games that will be widely viewed across Texas and America in the NFL, NBA, and NCAA. However, Texans are not able to legally bet on any of these games without traveling to states that have already legalized sports wagering. Texans should not have less freedom than people in other states.

It is, however, legal to bet on fantasy sports right here in Texas. There are several outlets where you can wager money on the performance of individual players, and depending on the outcome of a number of different games, either gain or lose money. It is also legal to travel to another state and place a wager on a Texas team. It is illegal to set up a business that caters to sports bettors in Texas, and that should change; Texans should have the freedom to do what they want with their money and free time.

It is time for Texas to formally legalize all sports betting in Texas. Gambling in the Lone Star State is nothing new. Texas has already legalized gambling in several forms. You can legally bet on horse and dog races, gamble in the lottery, play bingo, or go to a casino. The next step is to introduce a new industry that will allow Texans do what they want with their money and free time.

The Supreme Court correctly ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was unconstitutional and sports betting should be left up to the states to decide. I hope the Supreme Court continues to rule this way on all matters. Most of what the Federal government does is not expressly provided for by our founding legal document, and should be left up to each state to decide. Basically, the Supreme Court said that sports wagering was not covered in the US Constitution, therefore it was a matter that each state could decide for itself.

Some anti-gambling people are worried that game fixing will occur if Texas allows sports wagering. There is no new or additional risk of game-fixing if Texas were to introduce sports betting. It is already possible under current law to fly to several states and bet on sports. You can find a flight for less than $200. If you were to set up a fix, there is no financial limitation to fixing a game in Texas and flying to a legal sports-wagering state to make the bet. Secondly, if you do fix a game, legal sports books are the ones who alert the authorities of an impropriety. Sports books are the only ones with the incentive and capability to identify game fixing, because they are the ones who will lose money on a fixed game.

People in Texas deserve more freedom. It is past time for Texas to remove the barriers to sports betting in Texas. The people in this great state deserve the freedom to do whatever they want with their money and time.