Would your opinion be different if there was no public money involved?
No, I don’t think Texas needs casinos. From what I can see private gambling seems to meet most Texans desires to gamble, without state regulation. Call it a triumph of small business.
I’m not a gambler myself although I have on opportunity participated in these hold’em games with a friend. He’d spot me in exchange for rides. We’ve won a fair amount, and I don’t consider it gambling because it’s not my money at stake.