While the state's strict ban on gambling hasn’t changed, fast-growing daily fantasy sports and prediction market apps are giving Texans new ways to wager without leaving home.

The Texas Lottery Commission did not immediately clarify why Ryan Mindell chose to resign, as lawmakers have discussed abolishing the lottery outright.

A possible reassignment of the charitable games comes as 15 bills in the Legislature seek to either alter or abolish the troubled agency.

Clark Smith, one of five members of the commission, stepped down Friday as lawmakers have raised questions about the role of lottery couriers and agency governance.

While the Lottery Commission says it can’t regulate sales to couriers, lawmakers want changes after two major jackpots were won using those services.

Incumbents saw key support from the business community, while hardline conservatives like Tim Dunn also spent heavily.

Adelson wasted little time reaching out to the state’s business leaders since news of the deal broke, visiting Austin on Thursday to address the Texas Association of Business, the state’s largest business lobby.

At least two people were taken into custody during a gambling bust on Monday afternoon, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

Facing a rigid deadline, gaming supporters were unable to get the supermajority support needed to move the legislation forward.

The Texas Sports Betting Alliance threw its weight behind new legislation Monday to let voters decided whether to legalize online sports betting.

Given the stiff headwinds to getting any expansion in gambling passed, sports betting and casino advocates may be competing against each other, rather than working in tandem.

Thirty three people were detained and nearly 60 gambling machines were seized after sheriff’s deputies raided two illegal gambling operations Thursday, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.

The ruling doesn’t expand the kinds of games tribes can offer on their lands but reaffirms their autonomy to regulate gambling activities that aren’t prohibited in Texas, regardless of the state’s rules.

The new Texas Sands PAC has already spread over half a million dollars across more than three dozen primaries for the state House and Senate.

Have you ever been to Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel? If you haven’t, or it’s been a while since your last visit, perhaps now is the time to swing by or plan a trip.

As is always the case, those who like to make wagers for the Super Bowl can bet on more conventional happenings in the game, such as who’ll cover the spread, who’ll win the coin toss, who’ll score the first touchdown, how many touchdown passes each quarterback will have; the list goes on and on.

The legislation — which required voter approval — would have brought a monumental expansion of gambling to Texas, which has some of the most restrictive gaming laws in the country.

SAN ANTONIO – Could Texas see legalized sports gambling some time soon? Governor Dan Patrick said a bill on legalized gambling would never see the light of day, but Texas Rep. Dan Huberty recently proposed a constitutional amendment that could allow Texans to vote on allowing sports wagering. Huberty said it would be money that he hopes to use for state causes, like education efforts. We believe it’s you know, it’s obviously much higher than that,” District 127 Texas State Rep. Dan Huberty said. “Texas has lagged behind in our funding for special education and meeting what we call maintenance of effort over the years.

Most Texas voters support expanded gambling in the state, and a clear majority would legalize marijuana in some capacity. But voters support changes to laws around a number of high-profile secondary issues, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Most Texas voters support expanded gambling in the state, and a clear majority would legalize marijuana in some capacity. They remain split when it comes to the state’s abortion laws, but the number wanting stricter abortion laws has fallen over the last year, while those wanting less strict laws has risen. At that time, 52% of Texas voters thought Confederate displays should be removed or relocated, and 43% thought they should remain, in some form, where they are now.

Here are some examples of bets you can make before, during and after the game. Pregame bets:Coin tossLength of the national anthem (under/over 2 minutes)Game bets:First score methodFirst score method for each teamOdd/even number of total pointsHighest-scoring quarterHighest-scoring halfOdd/even total point number for each teamWill the team that scores first win the game? Will either kicker hit an upright or crossbar during a missed field goal or extra-point attempt? Bets during the game that have nothing to do with the game:Will the price of Bitcoin go up or down during the game? Postgame bets:Color of Gatorade as it’s poured on the winning coachWho will the MVP mention first in his postgame speech?

SAN ANTONIO – Several people are in custody after deputies shut down an illegal gambling operation on the West Side, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. The search warrant was granted after a weeks-long investigation, Salazar added. Several people were arrested and deputies uncovered meth, heroine, a small amount of cash, and a stolen BMW in the back of the gambling location, according to the BCSO. There were also almost 30 gambling machines found at the location, according to the BCSO. The fire marshal is en route to the scene and deputies are still working to close the illegal gambling location.

Every election cycle it seems like sports gambling is becoming legal in more and more states. Maryland, Louisiana and South Dakota … but not in Texas -- at least, not this election cycle. Many leagues postponed their seasons in the spring and early summer due to the Coronavirus pandemic but, restarted them in late summer. One gaining popularity is from casino owner Penn National Gaming, who has a big minority stake in barstool sports and it just launched a barstool-branded sports betting app. So as more and more states legalize sports betting, expect to see more and more ads.

Sports betting is gaining more popularity as more states legalize it. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police officers who were called out for a stabbing late Thursday found an illegal gambling room instead. Police said officers discovered the gambling room around 10 p.m. at a building in the 1800 block of Bandera Road. About 19 people were at the establishment at the time officers arrived. Police said at least two people were detained for warrants, and others were given citations. The investigation remains ongoing.

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police detained 15 people in an illegal gambling bust on the city’s Southwest Side after someone reported seeing immigrants in the back of an 18-wheeler and called authorities. The bust happened at a location in the 15000 block of SW Loop 410 on Friday night. They said they detained 15 people who were playing with the gambling machines. They said no one among the group was sick, but only about one or two people were wearing masks. The Vice Unit will further investigate this case and interview the people detained, officers said.

EAGLE PASS, Texas – The Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel will close at 2 a.m. Thursday for 15 days to prevent the spread the coronavirus. Officials will re-evaluate reopening April 3 based on “current information.”“The health and safety of our guests and team members is of paramount importance. All casino team members will be on paid administrative leave during this time. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

SAN ANTONIO – Police say a call that came in for someone shot around 8 p.m. Saturday turned out to be quite a different scenario than they thought. When police arrived at South Presa Street and Southon Road on Saturday, they found people scrambling from a building that had 18 to 20 eight-liners inside. SAPD uncovers illegal gambling operation on South SideEven though there was a reason to notify authorities, the San Antonio Police Department is reminding people of the consequences of making bogus 911 calls. So if you get to a scene and you’re seeing people running, you don’t necessarily know who’s suspects, who’s victims,” said Officer Doug Greene, SAPD spokesperson. And it’s kind of pushed back when you have a high priority call such as this.”Making a bogus 911 call is a class A misdemeanor in Texas.

SAN ANTONIO – A woman has been arrested after an illegal gambling operation bust by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on the city’s West Side, officials say. BCSO said undercover deputies were at a home in the 100 block of Loy Drive to look for narcotics and ended up finding an illegal gambling operation. She will face a charge of facilitating a gambling operation. BCSO said deputies called the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office and the city’s Code Enforcement after they found code violations in the home, including illegal wiring. Officials said deputies also found a secret room in the home, but no one was inside.

So, if you’ve daydreamed about winning the lottery, you’re not alone. Lottery tickets are a popular Christmas gift or stocking stuffer, but they are also a gamble... literally. Aside from the fact that in most cases you're basically giving someone a worthless piece of paper, other complications come with a lottery ticket gift. Lottery Tickets Aren’t Child’s Play.”Researchers have found that most adults with either problematic or pathological gambling started gambling before adulthood. Even if you're gifting to someone who is old enough to cash it in, there are other caveats with gifting lottery tickets.