The Las Vegas Sands Corporation owns land in the Dallas metropolitan area and has made it clear that it wants to develop a casino on the property. As discussion has been ongoing over necessary zoning changes to make Sands’ wishes reality, community members have voiced opposition to the idea of a casino at the site.
So far, Sands is standing firm that without the option to offer gambling on the property, the company is not interested in developing the land at all. Given the connections between Sands and the Dallas Mavericks, Sands’ wishes carry extra weight in the Dallas area.
Zoning commission hearing reveals community opposition
According to The Real Deal, an Irving Planning and Zoning Commission hearing in early March featured testimony from over 30 residents of the city opposing a potential zoning change that would allow Sands to develop a casino near the former Texas Stadium should state laws banning gambling change. Sands acquired the nearly 260-acre site in 2023.
Among the plans that Sands has for the property is a complete casino resort along with a hotel and space for retail and non-gaming entertainment utilizations. The plans also call for a new arena for the Mavericks, complicating the issue.
New Mavericks arena could be leverage in state capitol
The tangible connections between the Mavericks and Sands go beyond Sands’ desire to develop a new arena for the NBA franchise on its land. Miriam Adelson is the majority owner of the Mavericks and also the largest individual shareholder in Sands.
Adelson has also been a prominent donor to campaigns of key political figures in Texas like Gov. Greg Abbott. At the same time, Sands has been active in lobbying in Austin to legalize casino gaming, but without success so far.
Adelson’s stake in the Mavericks and Sands’ control over a potential future arena site for the team could increase their ability to sway minds in the state capitol over gambling laws. Even if that proves to be the case, that won’t happen immediately.
Gaming expansion legislation for 2025 appears to be going nowhere and the Texas legislature only meets in odd-numbered years. A preliminary test for Sands’ influence could be the zoning considerations in Irving, potentially setting the stage for more deliberations on gambling in Austin in 2027.
