The Texas Gaming Association, a lobbying group with the aim of drawing casinos to the state of Texas said on Tuesday that it will present lawmakers in January 2007 with a plan to devote over $1 billion of gambling revenue to special scholarships for high school graduates.
The funds will cover the tuition costs of Texas high school graduates who qualify according to merit-based requirements. The group estimates that around 300,000 high school seniors, who are college-eligible, would be able to enjoy up to $5,000 for each year of the four-year scholarships.
The scholarships are a part of an elaborate proposal the gaming association plans to push during the legislative session that begins in Austin in January.
The plan will focus less on casinos and will emphasize the creation of 12 resort casinos, which include entertainment venues, shopping and restaurants, while the casinos themselves would make up 5 percent to 10 percent of the space in the resorts.
In the recent years the Texas Gaming Association has spent millions of dollars trying to convince the Legislature to allow casino-style gambling in Texas. According to the TGA's plan, nine casinos would be chosen for highly populated areas across the state and three more casinos would be operated on the state's three Indian reservations.
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