Last month, Gov. Greg Abbott made headlines nationwide by issuing multiple executive orders against the CCP’s “malicious espionage operations” in the state. These measures include protecting Texans from alleged CCP harassment and requiring state agencies and public entities to divest from China, underscoring growing concerns about national security threats posed by the regime.
According to a new analysis by Daniel Greer at Texas Scorecard, a CCP-linked casino company called Las Vegas Sands is planning to expand its operations in the Lone Star State through the past two legislative sessions.
The company was established in Las Vegas but has reportedly redirected operations from the U.S. to Macao in China since 2022. In the same year, Sands signed a 10-year concessions agreement with the Macao SAR government, which has been under CCP control since Macao’s transfer to China in 1999.
Greer wrote that American and foreign businesses operating in China are often forced to “bend the knee” to CCP mandates.
The article revealed that Sands recently launched a $15 million Chinese Culture Institute at the University of Las Vegas (UNLV). The new institute will “promote appreciation and understanding of Chinese language, traditions, and history” through faculty and student exchanges, according to the UNLV’s website.
Greer pointed out that Sands is one of the largest political donors of Houston-based Rep. Gene Wu, the newly elected leader of the Texas House Democrats. Wu, who has faced scrutiny for alleged ties to the CCP, is described as one of Texas’ most “outspoken and abrasive” Democratic lawmakers, according to previous reports by the Texas Scorecard.
Wu has participated in events hosted by Chinese consulates and spoken against the 2020 closure of the Houston branch as well as legislation to limit land sales to China, despite espionage issues raised by authorities.
The analysis comes amid recent political developments in Texas. After Speaker Dade Phelan announced he would not seek reelection, Representatives Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) and David Cook (R-Mansfield) emerged as frontrunners.
On December 9, Burrows held a brief press conference that he had enough Democrat and Republican votes to be the next House Speaker. “The speaker’s race is over,” he stated, “I have secured enough to be speaker of the House for the next session.”
Burrows, known as the “moderate” choice compared to Cook’s conservative stance, reportedly “broke the rules” when he went to Wu and the House Democrats to garner bipartisan votes for his bid.
The analysis also revealed that Wu voted in 2023 against an amendment that would have banned gambling companies with CCP ties from operating in Texas. Meanwhile, the Texas Lottery Commission allowed Jackpot.com—a platform that reportedly runs an exclusive lottery in China called Lotto China—to sell lottery tickets online in the state.
Greer warned that the CCP could leverage gambling companies for surveillance in other countries. With Wu’s alleged CCP ties and his support for House Speaker frontrunner Rep. Dustin Burrows, the analysis raised alarm over potential CCP influence within the state’s corporate and political landscape.
