A substantial majority of Texans support some of the more contentious proposals expected to come before the Legislature this spring, according to the latest survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.
Key Findings
- Almost three out of four Texans (73%) support legalizing destination resort casinos in Texas. 60% support legalizing online sports betting and 56% support the operation of sportsbooks at professional sports venues.
- Almost four out of five Texans (79%) support legalizing the sale and use of medical marijuana with a prescription. 69% support decriminalizing possession of marijuana for personal use and 62% support legalizing the sale and possession of recreational marijuana.
- 22% favor maintaining current Texas marijuana laws.
Almost three out of four Texans, or 73%, favor allowing destination resort casinos, a proposal that would require amending the state constitution. Smaller majorities support online sports betting (60%) and betting at professional sports venues (56%), both of which would also require a constitutional amendment.
Even larger majorities support changing the state's restrictive marijuana laws, with 79% in favor of fully legalizing medical marijuana and 62% supporting legalizing recreational marijuana. More than two-thirds, or 69%, support decriminalizing marijuana for personal use.
A little more than one in five say they favor leaving Texas marijuana laws unchanged.
Renée Cross, researcher and senior executive director of the Hobby School, said the findings suggest Texans are open to changing state laws and reaping the potential benefits.
"Texas is surrounded by states which already allow casino gambling, and several have legalized or eased marijuana regulations," she said. "Proponents of both legalized gambling and legalized marijuana argue Texans are taking money that could be spent here out of state."
"Proponents of both legalized gambling and legalized marijuana argue Texans are taking money that could be spent here out of state."
— Renée Cross, researcher and senior executive director of the Hobby School, University of Houston
Mark P. Jones, political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and senior research fellow at the Hobby School, said it's not clear any of the proposed changes will be approved by the Legislature, noting that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick included a ban on the sale of all THC products among his 2025 legislative priorities.
"This research indicates a majority, and in many cases a significant majority, of Texans support these proposals, including a majority of Republicans," Jones said. "While support for marijuana-related legislation is lower among Republicans than Democrats, and among those who describe themselves as born-again Protestants, support for many of the proposals under consideration crosses demographic and partisan lines. That's especially true in regard to gambling."
For example, 72% of Republicans support casino gambling, compared to 74% of Democrats; 59% of Republicans support online sports betting, compared to 65% of Democrats.
Among the report's other findings:
- Born-again Protestants and members of the silent and baby boom generations are the least likely to support legalized gambling, with 62% and 65% respectively favoring casino gambling. 46% of both groups support online sports betting, while 43% and 35% respectively support allowing betting at professional sports venues.
- Born-again Protestants were less likely than members of other religious groups or those who are not religious to support changing marijuana laws, although 70% support legalizing medical marijuana. 54% support decriminalizing marijuana, and 44% favor legalizing recreational marijuana use.
- Republican support for changing marijuana laws was generally lower than that from Democrats and independents, with 75% of Republicans in favor of medical marijuana, compared to 86% of Democrats and 73% of independents. 61% of Republicans favor decriminalizing marijuana, compared to 79% of Democrats and 67 % of independents. 53% of Republicans favor legalizing marijuana, compared to 71% of Democrats and 63% of independents.
- Despite strong support for liberalizing marijuana laws, more than half of Texans back Patrick's proposed ban on THC consumables, which are currently unregulated in Texas. That support includes 61% of Republicans and 70% of members of Gen Z, dropping to 48% of Democrats and 46% of baby boomers.
The full report is available on the Hobby School website. The survey was conducted between Jan. 13 and 21, in English and Spanish. The margin of error is +/-2.83%. Earlier reports focused on state budget priorities, vouchers and immigration. Future reports in the series will focus on abortion and gun control, elections and election reform.
Story by Jeannie Kever
