I am not a gambler, I also think 8 liners are the road to hell for cities, I think porn rots your brain, however, I understand, and realize I’m old and the opinions of younger people are more important than mine.
Every Texan is pissed that Oklahoma gets Texas gambling money, though.
The amount of money that leaves Texas for gambling in Oklahoma and Louisiana is massive — we’re talking about billions of dollars annually. Here’s a breakdown using the most reliable estimates:
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Why It Happens
- Texas has only extremely limited legal gambling (e.g., lottery, charitable bingo, and a few tribal venues).
- Meanwhile, Oklahoma and Louisiana have thriving casino industries — and much of their customer base comes from Texas.
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Estimated Annual Gambling Dollars from Texans:
Oklahoma:
- Oklahoma has over 130 tribal casinos.
- Rough estimates show that Texans contribute 30–40% of Oklahoma’s total casino revenue.
- That’s $1.5 billion to $2 billion+ per year coming from Texas residents.
Louisiana:
- Louisiana has about 20 casinos (riverboat, land-based, and racetrack casinos).
- Analysts estimate that Texans account for about 25%–30% of Louisiana’s gambling revenue.
- That’s approximately $700 million to $1 billion per year.
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Total Estimated Annual Outflow:
$2.2 billion to $3 billion in gambling revenue leaves Texas every year
and goes into Oklahoma and Louisiana economies.
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What That Means
- That’s billions in lost tax revenue, jobs, and local business growth for Texas.
- States like Oklahoma and Louisiana use that money for schools, infrastructure, and public services.
- Meanwhile, Texas keeps criminalizing or banning regulated gambling — even though the behavior clearly isn’t going away.
