Texas aims to ban eight-liner gambling machines

The proposed legislation would ban eight-liners statewide but allow individual towns, precincts or counties to permit them.

US.- Lawmakers in Texas aim to push through legislation that would clarify that eight-liner gambling machines are illegal under state law.

The gambling machines are currently able to operate in state due to a lack of clarity in the existing legislation.

Now two new bills introduced by representative Richard Pena Raymond would make the machines illegal unless individual towns, precincts or counties vote to allow them in their specific jurisdictions.

The first piece of legislation is House Joint Resolution 37, which proposes a constitutional amendment that would be voted on in a November referendum.

If HJR 37 is approved by voters, eight-liners would be banned statewide except for in cases where smaller jurisdictions vote otherwise.

A second bill, House Bill 647, states that eight liners may not pay out more than $1500 and that anyone who disobeys the rule could face imprisonment.

That legislation would only become effective if voters approve the constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, the biggest sports teams in Texas, including the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks, have put their weight behind calls to legalise sports betting in the state.

Las Vegas Sands has hired an army of lobbyists to campaign for casino legalisation in Texas.