Houston Politician Proposes Turning the Astrodome Into the ‘World’s Biggest Casino’

• A former Houston mayor running for Harris County judge wants billionaire Tilman Fertitta to transform the iconic, decaying Astrodome into a massive casino
• The candidate is calling on voters to “get rid of” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—the primary roadblock to legalizing gambling in the Lone Star State
• The proposal injects new chaos into a decades-long battle over whether to restore, repurpose, or entirely demolish the historic dome

The Houston Astros haven’t played an official game in the Astrodome since October 1999, but the debate about the venue’s future rages on. A local politician believes the introduction of casino gaming could be the answer.

Formerly mayor of the fourth-largest US city and a current candidate for Harris County judge, Annise Parker said the Astrodome needs to be preserved and if Texas were to legalize casino gaming, billionaire Astros owner Tilman Fertitta would provide a private sector solution.

Tilman Fertitta would put the world’s biggest casino in there in a heartbeat, and then we could save the Astrodome and not worry about it,” said Parker at a recent event conducted by the Houston Association of Black Journalists. Her comments were reported by The Houston Chronicle.

Fertitta is rumored to be the leading contender to acquire Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) and is reportedly engaged in exclusive takeover talks with the gaming company.

State Politics Stand in Way of Astrodome Casino

Some gaming entities continue pushing for Texas to alter its anti-casino stance, but that’s a tall order – one not lost on Parker.

As for Fertitta, he’s the owner of the Houston Rockets and is currently in the process of relocating a WNBA franchise to the city. He also has a slew of other business interests there and as the owner of the Golden Nugget casinos, he makes for the most logical business owner to bring a casino to Houston.

Previous rumors indicated that if Texas were to approve multiple casino licenses, Fertitta would almost assuredly be a bidder and look to bring a gaming venue to Galveston where he owns the San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center.

Astrodome Casino Would Be World’s Biggest

Parker is correct in her assessment that a casino at the Astrodome would in fact be the biggest gaming venue in the world.

The property occupies one million square feet, or nearly two-thirds more than the square footage of the WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, Ok. – the casino hotel currently wearing the crown as the world’s largest such venue.

Currently, the Astrodome doesn’t host concerts or sporting events, indicating there’s some impetus to figure out what to do with the venue.

“Since its closing in 2009, there have been many ideas proposed for the reuse of the Dome, including a hotel, event and convention space, festival space, amateur sports arena, theme park, movie studio, entertainment venue, museum, park or recreation space, disaster relief space, and, sadly, its demolition,” according to the Astrodome Conservancy.