Residents strongly oppose casino proposal at Irving town hall meeting

The proposal for casino-style gambling in Irving met strong opposition and outcry at a Town Hall meeting Friday night. Residents overwhelmingly voiced that such a venue has no place in the city’s present or future.

Hundreds packed a room in the Irving Convention Center for a Town Hall hosted by District 5 Councilman Mark Cronenwett. Many carried signs opposing a casino in their city.

“I believe that people are very passionate about it,” said Andy Abboud, senior vice president of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. “Everyone there was well-intentioned. People of faith. People that are morally opposed to gaming. We’re never going to try to dissuade anyone who is morally opposed to gaming.”

Abboud, representing the corporation, noted that the Adelson family, which owns high-end resorts in Macao and Singapore, also holds a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks.

The Las Vegas Sands aims to establish a presence in Texas, starting with acreage purchased before the Adelsons took control of the Mavericks. Despite Abboud’s presentation revealing that 59% of Texans would vote in favor of a casino proposal, his remarks were met with boos. He claimed the support is even higher in Irving and North Texas.

“I just think it will have a profound negative impact on the character of Irving,” said Danny Harris.

Harris and his roommate, Jacob Pouttu, oppose the casino portion of the multi-billion-dollar project. They could see the destination resort from their apartment terrace if it comes to fruition.

“I think the economic benefits will not outweigh the social harms. I think we can do better for Irving than Las Vegas,” Pouttu said.

The 32-year-old educator believes casinos will attract more crime to Irving, such as fraud, theft, prostitution, and human trafficking.

“These are all things that I don’t want in Irving,” Pouttu said.

Abboud countered that, as a legacy operator who does it right, the negative narrative is invalid. The company owns acreage from the old Texas Stadium off State Highway 114, Loop 12, and SPUR 482.

Sands CEO Patrick Dumont told The Real Estate Council in Dallas that the company wants to invest a minimum of $2 billion but could spend up to $12 billion. He described the project as business tourism.

“Let’s call it – current art of investment at the NBA where it becomes an entertainment area – a destination,” Dumont said. “Something that drives not only local tourism but tourism from the surrounding region because it’s a great experience.”

Dumont believes the adjacent property value would enhance Irving. The vision includes an arena that the Dallas Mavericks could call home.

Presentations on the property reveal an arena with a minimum of 15,000 seats, a 500,000-square-foot convention space, spas, retail, restaurants, and other additions that could reflect the scale of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

“It’s great that Las Vegas Sands has a vision for this parcel and has big dreams of development, but those dreams have to match the vision of the residents for the future of their city, families, and community,” said Councilman Luis Canosa.

Canosa said his office has not received one email favoring the project, so he stands against it. He noted that while it is a golden opportunity for Sands, the process lacks transparency. Many residents shared this sentiment.

“I think we should have a mandate as elected representatives to put the seal of approval on something of such magnitude,” Canosa said. “Without it, are we even like elected officials or are we just doing the bidding for billionaire special interests?”

Abboud said the company is prepared to invest billions to create jobs and opportunities.

For Harris, not all money is good money.

“What do we want Irving to be like for the next 10 years? Do we want it to continue to be what it has been, or do we want it to be like the Las Vegas Strip?” Harris said.

Irving’s Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to vote Monday night on whether the tract of land can be rezoned for a casino and a destination resort. The city council will take up the matter on Thursday.

If Irving approves, the state still has to change the law, and voters must agree to alter the constitution. Abboud said even if all of that fell in the Las Vegas Sands’ favor, the project could still be five to seven years away.