AUSTIN, Texas — From the time he was a state lawmaker in the late 1980s, through his 14-year tenure as Texas governor, Rick Perry was steadfast in his opposition to expanding gambling in his home state.
But Perry is now among those who are calling for Texas to legalize mobile sports betting during next year’s legislative session.
Perry, who served as governor from 2000-2014, has become a spokesman for the Sports Betting Alliance, a collective that includes prominent sportsbook operators and all of Texas’ major professional teams. Perry’s flip is seemingly at odds with how he voted as state lawmaker in 1986 and with a letter he penned to congressional leaders more than eight years ago.
