Casino-aligned political committees poured millions of dollars into Texas Republican primaries in the final weeks before Election Day, according to newly released 8-day campaign finance reports.
Texas Defense PAC—a political committee funded by interests pushing to legalize casino gambling in Texas—reported more than $3.25 million in expenditures during the late-January to late-February reporting period, much of it devoted to advertising, mail programs, and campaign consulting tied to targeted House races.
The filing shows the PAC spending heavily on voter outreach and advertising tied to candidates including Cecil Bell Jr., Ken King, Stan Kitzman, Janie Lopez, Kyle Morris, Willie Ng, Angelia Orr, and Nathan Watkins.
One of the PAC’s biggest beneficiaries is Trent Ashby, who is currently running for the Senate. The group has reported spending over $1 million in direct mail supporting him.
Ashby, meanwhile, has attempted to distance himself from the group and says he opposes casino gambling in Texas.
Another recipient of casino cash is candidate Nathan Watkins, whose race saw well over $350,000 in mail programs, advertising, and production spending tied to the PAC’s campaign. Watkins is running against State Rep. Terri Leo Wilson, who has opposed casino expansion.
Meanwhile, State Rep. Ken King’s race saw more than $200,000 in digital advertising and related campaign expenditures from the PAC, placing him among the group’s top investment targets.
While the reporting period runs through February 21, the casino lobby is expected to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars more in King’s race through Election Day.
Meanwhile, a separate 8-day report from Texas Sands PAC, funded directly by Las Vegas Sands Corp., shows the casino company continuing to distribute direct campaign contributions to a wide slate of Republican lawmakers and candidates as early voting began.
Taken together, the filings illustrate the casino lobby’s coordinated strategy in Texas elections: Texas Sands PAC providing direct financial support to candidates, while Texas Defense PAC finances large-scale advertising and voter-contact operations aimed at influencing the composition of the Texas House.
Casino legalization proposals have repeatedly stalled in the Legislature, but the industry has continued investing heavily in Republican primaries.
