Romo Honored By Texas Legislature

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was honored by the Texas State Legislature on Wednesday. But his appearance was for more than just to be recognized by some politicians. He was also there to help push a proposed Daily Fantasy Sports bill for Texas. It’s no secret that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones owns a large stake in DraftKings. But nobody knows if Romo was there at the behest of Jones or not.

The bill, sponsored by Democrat Richard Raymond of Laredo, is still sitting in the House Calendars Committee. Raymond also sponsored the resolution honoring Romo. “The 85th Texas Legislature hereby honor Tony Romo for his outstanding career with the Dallas Cowboys and extend to him sincere best wishes as he embarks on the next exciting chapter of his life,” the resolution stated.

Texas is viewed as one of the big DFS battleground states. Not only does it have a large population, but Texans are also known for their love of football. But the current bill to legalize DFS in the state looks to have stalled out in committee. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst has a similar bill to legalize DFS games in the state Senate.

What hurts the DFS companies is Attorney General Ken Paxton takes an unfavorable view of DFS as it pertains to gambling. “Paid daily ‘fantasy sports’ operators claim they can legally operate as an unregulated house, but none of their arguments square with existing Texas law,” Paxton wrote. “Simply put, it is prohibited gambling in Texas if you bet on the performance of a participant in a sporting event and the house takes a cut.”

Rep. Raymond takes a different view. “It is a game of skill, not a game of chance,” he said of fantasy sports. “If you don’t think fantasy football is a game of skill, then you haven’t played it.”