Former Houston Mayor Says Fertitta Could Build County’s Largest Casino

The former mayor of Houston, Texas, suggested building the “world’s biggest casino” in the NRG Astrodome Stadium.

Annise Parker, who is now aiming to become the Harris County judge, said that legalizing casino gaming could help preserve the Astrodome, dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World” after it opened in 1965. She also suggested that billionaire and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta could lead the transformational project.

One key roadblock in Parker’s way is the Texas legislature’s strong opposition to gambling expansion, led by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R).

A record-breaking Houston casino

The gambling industry is worth billions of dollars. As the second most-populated state in America, Texas would be able to generate piles of revenue and gaming taxes if it expanded its gambling operations beyond the legal forms — the state lottery, pari-mutuel horse and greyhound racing, select tribal gaming facilities, and charitable bingo games and raffles.

While iconic, the Houston Astrodome has become a headache for Harris County officials. Having been closed to the public since 2009, possible options include an estimated $750 million renovation or a $55 million demolition job. 

“Tilman Fertitta would put the world’s biggest casino in there in a heartbeat, and then we could save the Astrodome and not worry about it,” Parker said at a recent event hosted by the Houston Association of Black Journalists, as reported by The Houston Chronicle.

Fertitta doesn’t just have ties to Houston through the Rockets. He also owns and operates the Golden Nugget casino brand — which offers live-dealer table games, slot machines, blackjack, and other attractions — has eight properties across Colorado, Nevada, Louisiana, New Jersey, Illinois, and Mississippi.

He’s also no stranger to the expansion of business. He has been involved in efforts to bring sports and entertainment events to Houston, and he recently received unanimous approval to relocate the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and revive the Houston Comets brand. The team will play its games at the Toyota Center in the heart of downtown Houston.

“If you don't change and mix things up, you're going to get run over,” Fertitta famously said. “One of the things we preach is change, change, change.”

Fertitta against Texas’ gambling opposition

Although Fertitta has not made any public declarations of his intent to revitalize the Astrodome, he has been posturing to capitalize on gambling in Texas.

On top of his other ventures, he owns the San Luis Resort, a 32-acre beachfront property and rumored home of a future casino, in Galveston.

He’s also engaged in exclusive talks to acquire Caesars Entertainment in a deal with an estimated value of around $18 billion. Acquiring the global gaming giant, while maintaining a premier hospitality property and multiple professional sports franchises, would give him a powerful voice. 

Taking over the Astrodome would almost inevitably put Fertitta in an even stronger position. With one million square feet of indoor space, the property is the largest venue that could feasibly be converted into a casino in the country. The current largest facility is WinStar in Oklahoma, which covers 600,000 square feet. 

All that said, nothing can happen until the state government signs its approval on the expansion of gambling. That will be a problem as long as Lt. Gov. Patrick is still in power, given his previous promise to nix all pro-gambling bills that come before him.

Parker is six days away from a runoff against former Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer for the right to become the Democratic nominee for the county judge’s seat. The winner will face either Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez or local businessman Warren Howell, both of whom are also in a runoff on the Republican side.