IN THE GAME?
Fred Faour: What the Supreme Court ruling on sports betting means for Texas
May 14, 2018, 10:23 am
Don't expect to see betting shops like this one open in Texas. Getty Images
The Supreme Court ruling on Monday morning to strike down anti-sports wagering laws brought an instant positive reaction for those who are pro-gaming. But what does it really mean?
The Supreme Court struck down a 25-year-old law that has prevented sports gaming outside of Nevada. It basically will allow states to decide whether or not to pass sports gaming laws on their own. Many states have anticipated this ruling for months and have already been in the planning stages.
The NFL, NCAA, NBA and NHL had all blocked the decision at lower levels, but the state of New Jersey prevailed in the country’s highest court. Ironically, as it became clear in recent months the law would pass, commissioners of the major sports began to alter their stances, and in fact now want in on the action in some cases. Expect the leagues to try to get compensation from the individual states.
So what happens next? States that are interested will work to get laws passed before football season so wagering can begin then. That deadline might be stretching it, but New Jersey in particular is pretty far along. States that have not been preparing will take longer.
For those thinking that they will suddenly get legalized sports betting, not every state is going to pursue it. Much like legalized marijuana, sports gambling will not be as widespread at first.
CBS News speculated that 14 states (including Nevada) would be up and running inside of two years, with that number growing to as many as 32 in five years. Profootballtalk speculates between six and 10 could be up and running when the season starts.
As an aside, tt will be interesting to see the impact on tourism in Nevada, which suddenly no longer offers any gaming that will not be readily available elsewhere.
The biggest question locally is what does the ruling mean for Texas? The easy answer is one word: Nothing.
The anti-gambling establishment (or, let’s be honest, the pro-other-state gambling establishment) is too ingrained in the Texas State Legislature to ever get anything done. Casino gaming is not close, and sports betting is farther away than that. The neighboring states’ casinos funnel in tons of money to make sure Texas stays out of the gambling business. Poker rooms found a loophole, and it appears Texans will have to be happy with that, horse and greyhound racing and the lottery.
Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in 2015: “State laws on gaming are to be viewed strictly as prohibitive to any expansion of gambling. This statutory framework is properly intentioned to protect our citizens, and I support it wholeheartedly.”
That is the stance of the anti-gaming contingent, but that hasn’t stopped Texans from spending ridiculous amounts of money in neighboring states. So unless there is a significant culture change, don’t expect sports betting in Texas in the next decade -- or even longer.
The good news is that the CBS speculates that within five years you will be able to go to Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas or Louisiana and bet on sports, just like Texans do for casino gaming now. And if you are traveling around the country, you now will have options.
The next few months will be interesting as everyone tries to get in on the action, from states to the sports leagues to individual proprietors. There will be no shortage of fits and starts in getting it up and running. The U.S. has been decades behind Europe when it comes to wagering, and now a multi-billion dollar business is in play, so expect everyone to want to wet their beak. Some states will jump right in, others will wade in, but the good news is that in many states you will be able to legally wager on sports in the next few years.
Just not in Texas.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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