Two enthusiasts for horse racing, and eventually, perhaps, casino gambling in Jefferson County say they’ve collected more than 400 signatures over four days for petitions calling for a countywide gambling vote.

Elias Hernandez, a Port Arthur businessman, and Kevin Johnson, both connected to Renaissance Hospitality, say they hope the issue can make it to the May 2019 ballot in this county. They must collect their signatures by Oct. 21 for that to happen, they said.

“We want legislation to give people a vote, which hasn’t happened in Texas,” Johnson said in a visit to The Port Arthur News on Monday. “This is so Jefferson County, if the opportunity (for legal gambling) arises, won’t be left out.”

The petition says, “We the undersigned qualified voters of Jefferson County, Texas, hereby respectfully request that a local option election be called in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Texas Election Code, Chapter 277 in the above mentioned area for the purpose of submitting to the legally qualified voters of said area the determination of the following issue, to wit:

“To approve the legalization of pari-mutuel wagering on horse races.”

Both men, though, suggested that the greater goal would be to establish a casino here, especially if casinos are tied to locating at established venues for horse racing. They said State Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, has filed legislation to locate three “destination resort” casinos on the Texas coast in Jefferson, Galveston and Nueces counties.

Deshotel’s office did not return phone calls Monday.

They said the intent is that if the legislation passes, the state would dedicate some gambling money profits to support the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, which provides windstorm and hail insurance to coastal counties. It has been under duress because of large payouts in recent years, including Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey.

Hernandez and Johnson said over that last 11 years, their organization — it includes some 16 or 17 colleagues — has been involved in as many as eight bills and other efforts to promote casino gambling. Among their efforts was one to create a casino on Pleasure Island.

Johnson said the state of Texas has nine licenses for racetracks but only seven tracks are in operation. He said in order for a track to be located in Jefferson County, there must be a vote.

He said a casino here would operate something like the Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel in Vinton, Louisiana. In fact, he said, the state of Texas loses some $2.4 billion a year spent by Texans who gamble in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana or at the Coushatta Casino Resort in nearby Kinder, Louisiana. He also said Texas loses money to casinos in Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Johnson said that although Texas has never OK’d pari-mutuel wagering, lawmakers who support it will face less opposition that they might have in the past.

“The whole industry is changing,” he said. “Gambling used to looked at with all the bad that has come with it. But casinos have become a large form of entertainment.

“The pressure will come off legislators who support it.”