Friday marked one year since a contentious March 20, 2025, city council meeting that effectively halted Las Vegas Sands’ effort to bring casino gaming to Irving, but the political fight has not fully faded, a battle defined by marathon hearings, overwhelming public opposition, and lingering political fallout.
In a new statement to The Dallas Express, Councilman Luis Canosa framed the anniversary as a temporary victory rather than a final resolution.
“Today marks the one-year anniversary of the battle against Sands in which, over three hectic weeks, Irving’s people showed the fervent blood that flows in its veins by rushing to protect its way of life from the sick machinations of powerful oligarchs,” Canosa said.
He added, “No sacrifice was made in vain, and we shall carry the memory of such display of love for our Community in our hearts, without being lulled into naive complacency. This Community is still under siege from those same interests, who now quietly lust for both our defeat and their revenge.”
The Dallas Express followed up to ask if Canosa believed Sands representatives were still pushing to bring casino gaming to Irving. Canosa said, “Their proxies are, and as long as they own the land in PUD 6 we should assume so. Their timeline goes way into the future, so a few months of silence doesn’t change the fundamental math of the tremendous wealth they would accrue with a casino in Irving.”
Other incumbent leaders saw the issue differently. Councilman David Pfaff, who was not elected to the council until after the gaming rezoning vote was withdrawn, said the events of March 2025 clarified the limits of local authority on the issue.
“March 2025 clarified that casino gaming is a state issue—not a city decision—and it was never a real election issue or a change to local law,” Pfaff told The Dallas Express. “It helped inform residents and highlighted the importance of local input in state-level decisions. Today, there are no active gaming proposals in Irving, and with gaming still illegal under Texas law and no clear movement in the Legislature, it’s simply not an issue for our city right now.”
Councilman John Bloch told The Dallas Express via telephone, “follow the money,” noting that Las Vegas Sands owner Miriam Adelson had recently restocked the cash of her political network and supported statewide candidates in Texas.
He said the casino issue is “not a live—but not a dead—issue either. I expect to see a consistent state-level push. In Irving, it is a waiting game.”
Each member of the current city council was contacted for comment on the anniversary.
The 2025 clash unfolded over a compressed three-week period between late February and March 20, drawing hundreds of Irving residents to multiple public hearings. Speaker after speaker opposed the proposed rezoning tied to a potential casino development, often citing concerns about crime, addiction, and the city’s character.
Despite that opposition, the Irving Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-4 in the early morning hours of March 18, 2025, to recommend advancing the rezoning, following a marathon meeting that stretched past 2:30 a.m., as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Public skepticism intensified after documents obtained by The Dallas Express indicated that some pro-casino attendees had been recruited and promised payment to show support.
The effort ultimately unraveled hours before the March 20 city council vote, when Sands representatives requested to withdraw the gaming-related rezoning component. The council later approved broader mixed-use zoning changes without explicit authorization for casino gaming, according to previous reporting by The Dallas Express.
The final meeting itself was marked by emotional testimony, occasional clashes between officials and residents, and repeated warnings from speakers that the issue should not return in the future.
In the months that followed, Sands-linked political networks continued to play a role in Irving municipal races during the late spring of 2025. However, even candidates reportedly backed by those networks publicly distanced themselves from the casino issue.
One year later, the legal landscape remains unchanged. As of now, the Irving City Council has not approved rezoning for gaming on any parcel of land, and casino gambling remains prohibited under Texas law. Any path forward would require a constitutional amendment approved by the Legislature and voters statewide.