Despite the fact that sports betting inside Texas is not going to become a reality throughout this year’s legislative procedure, the state hosts several celebrities championing the particular industry’s cause.
The particular Lone Star State has its own iconic gambling figures, from businessmen to celebrities to sportsmen.
People’s support regarding online and real-time sports betting inside Texas is escalating despite being stymied within the Texas Legislature. Recent research shows that more than two-thirds of Texans support the idea.
As a result, the work of these gambling flag bearers in Texas should not be unnoticed. They might be the tipping point the next time the legislature meets in January 2025 to talk about the issue.
Meanwhile, let’s look at the input of five Texas sports betting enthusiasts.
Mattress Mack
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is definitely the over-the-top furniture salesman with the wacky advertisements who is known as one of the world’s most famous sports gamblers.
The 71-year-old has always made headlines for his unreasonable bets on Texas sports teams.
In one of his more extravagant wagers, the high-rolling sports gambler won $75 million off $10 million in bets on the Astros to win the World Series last year.
Mattress Mack isn’t just a gambler; he is a savvy businessman. He claims to gamble but uses bets as insurance against furniture promotions.
What makes him controversial lately is his morally-skewed stance on sports betting in Texas. He is flat-out against it.
He spoke out against the idea despite his history of placing massive multimillion-dollar sports bets as a promotion for his stores.
10 Bryant
The previous Dallas Cowboys wide recipient from Galveston made waves on social media last year with his wild predictions and putting his money where his mouth is.
Bryant, who holds the Cowboys’ franchise record for receiving touchdowns in a career, would announce his predictions on Twitter and Instagram during game days before placing high-stakes bets on the Cowboys to win.
It appears fans enjoy his input and wagers because the Cowboys miraculously win each time he does them. Last fall, Bryant was three for three when he betin favor of the Cowboys.
However, how he placed those bets could be contentious, considering Texas does not permit gambling.
Nevertheless, as a Cowboys player, Bryant was notorious for bringing his energy and passion to every game. Now as a fan, he’s taking that same gusto, being vocal during games and electrifying the crowd.
Jamie Foxx
Delivered in Terrell, Jamie Foxx played quarterback for his high school team. He’s an avid Dallas Cowboys enthusiast who loves to bet on the team.
Since 2020, the award-winning actor, musician, and comedian is the brand ambassador for BetMGM, the exclusive gambling partner of MGMResorts nationwide.
Foxx is most reputed for his work on “The King of Sportsbook” campaign, which is highly visible nationwide.
Kelly Pracht
The CEO and co-founder of nVenue, Kelly Pracht , a Harrisburg native, has been leading innovations through engineering for over 20 years.
She began at HP Enterprise and pivoted to sports by providing unique and brand-new experiences to sports fans.
nVenue, her brainchild, is a software that uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide real-time predictions and analytics for each outcome of a play.
In an interview last summer, Pracht said that the micro-betting market could generate $160 billion in wagers by 2025.
Fred Faour
Known as an American author, gambler, and sports radio talk show host in Harrisburg, Faour “the Falcon” is also a co-host on KFNC’s flagship show “The Flash.”
A devoted gambler, Faour wants to see legalized gambling in Texas but is aware of the difficulties surrounding this.
When he sees this, Texas is a diverse place with many different perspectives, making it hard to paint Texans with one brush. He strongly believes, however, that a gambling measure will pass if the people can vote.
Faour previously worked as a sports editor at the Harrisburg Chronicle.
Rashid Mohamed is an international journalist with a special interest in sports writing. He has contributed regularly to PlayTexas, focusing on both the path to gaming legalization and the underground market in the state. He is a Poli-Sci graduate of Kansas University and holds a top marks A.S. in Writing. He has worked in several places and has extensive experience within the United Nations and other regional, national, and international organizations. Rashid lives and writes outside Denver, Colorado.
