The Dallas Mavericks' new ownership group isn't dismayed by the current gambling laws in Texas.
On Friday, new Mavs governor Patrick Dumont spoke in his first meeting with reporters since the $3.5 billion purchase of the NBA franchise in December 2023. Dumont said that the two families that recently bought the club are “patient” in the wait for legalized Texas sports betting and gambling.
“We’re patient,” commented Dumont. He said that the timing doesn’t matter as they are committed to Dallas for the long term. “When we bought the Mavericks, we weren't really thinking about casino gaming.”
The state of gambling in Texas
The prospect of casino gambling in Texas faces significant hurdles, as state legislators believe there isn't strong public support for gambling, making it a low-priority issue.
Although proposals from the most recent legislative session in 2023 saw progress, there is still a long way to go before Texans can legally place bets. The legislature meets every two years, meaning there will be four more sessions before the Dallas Mavericks’ American Airlines Center lease expires in 2031.
“If you look at what we do, we're ground-up developers in scale, and we develop tourism assets for both business and leisure tourism,” Dumont said. “We feel like this is an opportunity that’s very good, not only for us, but for the tourism industry as a whole. Now, as part of that, we need casino gaming because of the scale of our investments.”
The Mavs were officially sold to Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont on December 27, 2023, following approval from the NBA Board of Governors. Both Dumont and Adelson families have attended several home games since the purchase.
