DraftKings Sponsors ‘Historic Free Parking’ At Texas State Fair
The State Fair of Texas is promoting DraftKings, a controversial U.S. sports betting brand, as part of an “historic savings opportunity.”
The State Fair announced Thursday that the Boston-based DraftKings would cover parking costs for the event, saying it would be “saving you $25 before a big weekend at the Fair begins.”
“We’re always looking for ways to make a day at the State Fair more accessible and affordable for our fairgoers, and we’re incredibly grateful to DraftKings for helping us offer free parking for the first time in our history,” said Mitchell Glieber, president of the State Fair of Texas. “This is a great opportunity for folks to save before they even walk through the gates and spend the day experiencing everything the State Fair of Texas has to offer.”
DraftKings Sportsbook isn’t legal in Texas.
Family Friendly?
The State Fair says it’s a family-oriented event that has taken place nearly every year since 1886.
The nonprofit’s mission statement says: “The State Fair of Texas celebrates all things Texan by promoting agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a family-friendly environment.”
Many public health experts say online sports gambling is highly addictive as presently regulated in numerous states, and they warn it can harm families, including through household food insecurity and debt.
“Online gambling is a known addictive product, and it is illegal in Texas,” Dr. Harry Levant, Director of Gambling Policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute and co-founder of the platform FFOG, said. “Worse still is the impact on children. Thousands of children enjoy the majesty of the Texas State Fair.” Levant criticized the exposure of children and families to DraftKings branding.
DraftKings, a major player in the online sports betting industry, has so far been unsuccessful in lobbying for legalization of house-banked betting in Texas. However, in Texas and elsewhere, it offers stock-market-style sports betting through its so-called prediction market.
Bottom Line
The State Fair’s promotion of DraftKings isn’t the first time it’s been associated with gambling. It has historically promoted the Texas Lottery, and, in 2023, Global Poker, a platform from the sweepstakes casino giant VGW, also sponsored the Fair.
According to the State Fair’s official history, horse-race gambling was once its primary source of revenue.
But the State Fair’s latest gambling industry promotion comes amid growing warnings about the public health consequences of online sports betting. In August, former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams called sports betting the “new opioid crisis,” warning specifically about the exposure of children and young people to gambling.
Image of the 2026 State Fair of Texas via Wikimedia Commons
The post DraftKings Sponsors ‘Historic Free Parking’ At Texas State Fair appeared first on GamblingHarm.org.