P o l l i n g B r i e f

Texans Support
Destination Resort Casinos

Putting Texas Ahead of the Game.

 Texans Support Destination Resort Casinos

It’s no secret that Texas voters support

“The constitutional amendment creating the Texas
destination resort casinos. Multiple polls over
Gaming Commission and authorizing and regulating
many years confirm that Texans want the right to
a limited number of destination resort casinos by
vote on this issue, and that it will likely pass by a licensed operators and certain Indian tribes to
large margin if placed on the ballot. provide money for property tax relief and additional
financial aid for higher education students.”
1% Refused/ 3% Undecided
Would Not Vote
The survey results set forth in this brief
were developed by Wilson Research
Strategies (WRS), one of the top political
and corporate polling firms in the country.
29%
The firm has completed over 3,000 research Total
Against
engagements and its principals have
67%
made numerous appearances on MSNBC, Total For
Fox News, CNN, CNBC and C-SPAN. WRS
surveyed 1,000 registered voters between
February 27 and March 1, 2011, for this poll.

Support for destination resort casinos is strong in all regions of the state.

The casino amendment has majority support

in every region of Texas.

Region Casino Support

Austin 59%
Central Texas 53% West Texas Dallas
Ft Worth
Dallas/Ft. Worth 66% East
Texas
Central
Texas
East Texas 73% Austin
Houston
Houston 73% San
Antonio
San Antonio 66% South Texas

South Texas 68%

West Texas 63%
 Putting Texas Ahead of the Game.

75% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans

would vote to allow destination resort casinos.

100%
6%
% Undecided/Ref
U dec ded/ e 2% Undecided/Ref
U d id d/R f 5%
% Undecided/Ref
U dec ded/ e
90%

80%
19% Vote Against 33% Vote Against
34% Vote Against
70%

60% 75% Vote For

50% 65% Vote For
40% 61% Vote For
30%

20%

10%

0%
Democrats Republicans Independents

Texans want to decide whether to allow destination resort casinos.

The legislature should let the voters decide whether and

what kind of expanded gambling options should be 86% 2% 12%
allowed in Texas.

Texans lose billions of dollars to out of state casinos,

and are paying for the public schools and highways in
Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Texas could 79% 3% 18%
use that money to improve our own services.

Whether or not a person decides to gamble and how

much they gamble is a matter of personal choice and 92% 1% 7%
responsibility.

A limited number of destination resort casinos that are

regulated and taxed by the state is better than having tens
of thousands of illegal and unregulated slot machines in 81% 5% 14%
places like convenience stores and strip malls.

Agree Don’t Know/Refused Disagree

All photos in this brochure are for illustration purposes only.

Our Plan
Authorize a limited number of destination resort casinos. Places a constitutional
amendment before Texas voters that would authorize up to eight destination resort casinos,
and an additional eight licenses for slots at Texas tracks.
Dedicate the gaming tax revenues to the Property Tax Relief Fund. Dedication of these
revenues will help to ensure that the legislature keeps the promise of lower school property tax
rates.
Fund the TEXAS Grant College Scholarship Program. Dedicates other tax streams
generated directly from these gaming facilities to fund college scholarships through the TEXAS
Grant Program.
Allow each of the three recognized Indian tribes in Texas to operate a gaming facility on
their tribal lands in accordance with state and federal law.

Our Goals
Let the voters decide. Our democratic system trusts the voters to elect legislators to serve in
Austin who will enact their will. Poll after poll shows that as many as 85% of our state’s voters
want to vote on the expansion of gaming. We should trust them to make the right choice.
Provide at least a billion dollars in state revenue for the upcoming biennium to help the
state balance its budget. This would be mostly in the form of up-front fees from the companies
winning the licenses to operate facilities.
Don’t feed the beast. Spend the revenues that are generated in a way that does not grow
government, but instead lowers taxes and helps Texas remain competitive.
Create tens of thousands of direct jobs in the new gaming facilities. These are good
jobs, with career paths, high salaries and benefits. And, they won’t cost the state one penny in
incentives.
Require competition for the gaming licenses. Competition, not entitlement, is what will
generate the greatest economic impact and benefit for the public. No one is automatically entitled to
anything under
this proposal.
Keep Texas dollars in Texas. World-class destination resort facilities will not only bring
Texas gaming dollars back from adjoining states, but will significantly increase the flow of
convention and tourism dollars into Texas.

1005 Congress Avenue, Suite 450

Austin, Texas 78701
Tel: 512-476-4376

Paid for by the Texas Gaming Association, Jack Pratt, Chairman • 1005 Congress Avenue, Suite 450, Austin, Texas 78701.