Six states passed laws to allow sports betting. One more, Florida, relaunched them after a year-long legal battle ended in October with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of the casinos. But two of the most populous states in the country—California and Texas—have still refrained from joining this trend. Sports betting advocates hope for progress in both states toward legalization in 2024.

There were no apparent moves in California this year to legalize sports betting, after two rival measures, including one financially supported by Native American tribes, foundered on a 2022 vote.

Baird Fogel, a California attorney who works with the gambling industry, says the key is getting the tribes' full support.

“Remember, tribes don't need this,” Fogel said. “They can wait forever. That's the trick here, what everyone needs to get me to think about this. You have to be proactive in going to them with an idea of how you can get their support, because without it, this is not going anywhere.”

Fobel said tribes could be receptive to the right approach. Connecticut and New Jersey reached new agreements because those states reached pacts with tribal casinos.

Some type of revenue splitting could get a deal signed in California, Fogel said.

“It's going to happen,” Fogel said. “The tax revenue alone is crazy. Any casino is already generating 9 billion dollars a year in California. “I can’t even imagine the level this balloon would rise to if you could do this from the comfort of your home on a mobile device.”

In Texas, any proposal to place casino bets would involve a negotiation that could take years.

Proponents of these projects have pumped millions of dollars into political action committees and campaign donations. Miriam Adelson, a casino magnate who struck a deal in November to buy the Dallas Mavericks, donated $1 million to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's 2022 campaign.

Gambling measures have been gaining support, but a spending spree has failed to gain traction in a legislature where resistance to casino legalization persists. The Texas Republican Party passed a resolution that showed renewed opposition to casino gambling among activists in its political group.

There is no bigger obstacle than Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who controls the state Senate and has outsized influence over whether the proposals even come to a vote. A gambling measure, which would have allowed mobile devices to be used for gambling, passed the House of Representatives last week but was never submitted to the Senate for consideration.

“The Republican electorate controls Texas,” said Bill Miller, a longtime Republican consultant. “I don't think I'm in love with casino gaming now. “It will be a challenging task to change that.”

Texas lawmakers won't hold a regular session again until 2025, and Patrick could seek re-election in 2026.

“Over time, betting will come to Texas in all its versions. Casinos will be the last,” Miller predicted. “You have to have patience and money. “You have to have the financial strength to stay in the game.”

There are signs that Las Vegas Sands, a company headed by Adelson, is looking to try and wait. Property records reported in the Dallas metropolitan area media indicate that the casino company purchased another 100 acres (40 hectares) of land near the site of the old Texas Stadium in Irving.

Georgia and Missouri are the other states to pay attention to in 2024. An initiative could be presented again in Georgia, after the failure of two previous ones.

A proposal passed this year in the Missouri House of Representatives did not advance in the Senate, but could be revived.

For decades, sports betting has faced opposition from the NCAA and professional leagues over concerns about potential match-fixing that could undermine the legitimacy of games. Now that betting is widely accepted and even promoted, those in powerful positions in collegiate and professional sports have had to adapt, despite the occasional negative headline in the press.

More than 40 Iowa and Iowa State athletes were implicated in a gambling investigation. Nine of those athletes pleaded guilty to underage gambling.

Alabama basketball coach Brad Bohannon was fired after placing suspicious bets related to a team game at a Cincinnati establishment.

The NFL has also suspended several players this year for violating its betting policy.

Supporters of sports betting have argued for years that its legalization makes it easier to track down wrongdoing. An example would be unusual changes in betting lines.

They point out that illegal bets, of which no record is kept, are impossible to monitor.

“Betting is still taking place in these states, even though it is not legal,” Fogel warned. “What this means is that they are done in an unregulated way. They don't pay taxes. There is no integrity program that is implemented that can provide protection and regulation. Betting is happening. “I'm not saying that's the reason to pass legislation, but it's one of the reasons.”

It remains to be seen whether more states find that reason compelling to legalize sports betting.