Irving Casino Proposal Halted

For the time being, Irving will not be hosting a casino.

During a city council meeting on Thursday night filled with residents opposing the development, Las Vegas Sands Corp. officially withdrew the part of a controversial rezoning plan that could have allowed for a casino.

This unexpected decision occurred just a few days after a lengthy planning and zoning commission meeting, where numerous residents voiced their dissent regarding the proposal before it was forwarded to the full city council for consideration.

The city staff had to direct attendees to an overflow room due to the main chamber reaching full capacity. Shortly after entering, a designated table was made available for those wishing to speak on the proposal, and over 100 residents signed up, prompting a reduction of public comment time from three to two minutes each.

When Assistant City Manager Philip Sanders announced the removal of the casino portion of the plan, the standing-room-only crowd erupted in applause and cheers.

“Thank you for listening to the voices of the residents,” speaker Bernie Wright addressed the council. “Please continue to prioritize local voices over those from out of town.”

KERA News reached out to Las Vegas Sands Corp. seeking a comment but had not received a response at the time. Despite the decision, there remain notable hurdles ahead — Texas would still need to legalize gambling for any casino to operate. Many residents expressed concern over the company’s push for a proposal without clarity on the future of gambling in the state.