Texas Plans New Laws on Crypto, Betting and AI

"The lieutenant governor of Texas has just sent a list of topics to Senate committees for the next legislative session. He wants lawmakers to look at how prediction markets—online sites where people bet on future events—might be used for gambling that bypasses state rules. The goal is to close loopholes in Texas’s strict betting laws, which normally allow only casino gambling on Native American reservations and the state lottery. Texas has not yet joined other states that have sued prediction‑market platforms for sports and election bets. \n\nAnother priority is the regulation of digital currencies and blockchain technology. The lieutenant governor asks for a review of how Texas works with federal guidelines on crypto and the presence of cryptocurrency kiosks across the state.This follows a recent law that set up a Bitcoin reserve in Texas. \n\nThe agenda also includes an examination of artificial intelligence and its effects on the state’s workforce. This comes after news that a major tech company plans to build a multi‑billion dollar data center in Texas for an AI startup. The move reflects a shift among U. S. mining firms toward high‑performance computing as cryptocurrency profits decline. \n\nThe legislature meets every two years, with the next session scheduled for January 2027. The charges aim to align new regulations with Texas’s conservative majority while addressing emerging technology challenges. "