Last year, Texas Gov. Rick Perry proposed selling the Texas Lottery to a private company.Perry believes, with good reason, that privatization of the Texas Lottery, which brings in about $1 billion a year, would make the operation more efficient. And, he said, privatization could net as much as $14 billion.

But a recent report from Texans for Public Justice indicates that in order for the lottery to make that kind of profit, gaming throughout the state would have to be expanded.

That’s not bad, because it would almost certainly mean that the Speaking Rock gaming operation run by the Tigua tribe would be back in business. Speaking Rock was shut down in 2002 by then-Attorney General John Cornyn.

Cornyn is now one of Texas’ two Republican senators. And now Speaking Rock is again under attack, this time from Attorney General Greg Abbott because the tribe is allegedly operating illegal slot machine-style games.

When Speaking Rock was in operation, it was a financial boon both to the tribe and to El Paso. It could be a boon once again.

Are there downsides to expanding gaming in the state?

Sure.

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