Sports Betting in Texas Currently, sports betting is not allowed in Texas. This includes mobile online and gambling. However, horse racing and parimutuels betting are legal in the state,. Residents and visitors are free to enjoy sports betting in Texas. Online legal sportsbooks are the only alternative so far. Land-based Texas sports betting sites do not exist yet. Legislators can create and regulate legal betting in Texas.
- Texas introduced a bill in February 2019, to legalize sports betting. However, it is still in the negotiation stages and currently, offline sports betting in Texas is illegal. Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino The biggest casino in Texas features 3300 slot machines, 12 poker tables, and bingo.
- As mentioned beforehand, sports betting is currently illegal in Texas and no taxation has been set. The currently filed House Bill 1271 proposes to implement an income tax of 6.25% on winnings from sports betting.
- Texas Sports Betting Details Legal Sports Betting: Offshore Minimum Sports Betting Age: 21 years old Land-Based: No Online: Offshore Mobile: Offshore In-Play: Offshore Estimated.
Gambling options are minimal in the Lone Star State.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned on May 14, 2018. Courts voted to allow each state to propose and create their own laws and regulations for sports betting. However, Texas had outlawed most gambling many decades before PASPA.
So while Texas is free to legislate legal sports betting, they have been slow to do so.
Gambling in Texas is limited to the state lottery, horse and greyhound racing, bingo, and various charitable games. Gambling on tribal lands is exempt from state law. As such, tribes can offer all your traditional casino-style games like slots, cards, and table games. However, there are only two such tribal casinos in the entire state. And their locations, one on the Mexican border and the other in Livingston, make them nearly unreachable for most of the population.
The one exception is private poker clubs; 18 are fully operational in Texas. Private poker clubs found a loophole and have taken advantage of a legal technicality. Lawmakers frown upon the gaming, but no legal action has been taken to stop them from happening.
When it comes to daily fantasy, lawmakers deemed the activity illegal in 2016. However, there’s been nearly no action taken by any state in the US against DFS players where these games are deemed illegal. So playing these games in Texas falls into a grey area.
Until Texas legalizes sports betting, neighboring states of New Mexico and Arkansas do offer legal sports betting.
When Will Sports Betting Be Legal in Texas?
In 2019, there were some positive developments for sports betting and gambling in the state. Two bills were created to legalize sports betting in House Joint Resolution 61 and House Bill 1275. Another, House Bill 3043, was put forth to build 12 casinos in counties that voted in favor of doing so were introduced. Unfortunately, none of the bills gained any traction.
No current bills are being discussed in 2020. Should a future bill be introduced, it would need to gain a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate and then be put to a referendum vote to amend the state constitution in a later election. With Texas being a historically conservative state, the move to accept legal sports betting may not be in the cards anytime soon.
Should sports betting continue to expand in the US, the potential market may be too big to ignore. Texas is the second-most populous state in the country and is home to numerous high-profile major sports teams.
Texas is home to the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, FC Dallas, Houston Astros, Houston Dynamo, Houston Rockets, and soon to be MLS expansion side Austin FC. Additionally, Texas is a hotbed for college and high school sports and ranching and rodeos, with sports heavily ingrained in the state’s culture.
According to Dallas News, estimates say Texans spend approximately $2.5 billion a year at border casinos in other states, an astonishing amount for lawmakers to allow to continue to be spent elsewhere.
Texas Sports Betting FAQs
Is sports betting legal in Texas?
Currently, sports betting is not legal in Texas, whether that be in-person or through mobile wagering. However, horse racing and pari-mutuel betting are legal in the state, and there are tracks throughout where gamblers can make wagers.
Are there any casinos in Texas?
In the entire state, only two tribal casinos operate to serve gamblers in Texas. One is in Livingston, and the other is in Eagle Pass.
What are the professional sports teams in Texas?
Texas is home to a ton of pro sports teams. The Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers of the MLB, FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo of MLS, and the NHL’s Dallas Stars all call Texas home.
Background on Texas sports betting laws
While even discussing gambling expansion in Texas has caused rifts, a two-tiered proposal emerged in February 2019.
The 15-page bill, HB 1275, arrived courtesy of Rep. Eddie Lucio III and would authorize online and mobile wagering. In addition, the measure would tab the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to oversee the industry, which would see a 6.25% tax rate imposed “on each bet placed by a sports bettor.”
Under HB 1275, bettors would have the ability to wager on professional and college sports.
As the bill would require a referendum to amend the state constitution, one needing approval from voters, Lucio also introduced House Joint Resolution 61.
In order to move forward, the referendum would need two-thirds support in both the House and Senate. Only then can the order be placed on the ballot for public vote.
Both proposals were referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures. As the Texas Legislature only convenes every two years, the two proposals have sat in limbo, though they could be reviewed in early 2021.
A total of five permits would become available if sports betting is legalized under this bill, with two skins authorized for each holder.
Of course, people go crazy for sports in Texas, which could obviously help sports betting thrive in the Lone Star State. That said, there has been plenty of pushback on previous proposals.
For years, bills authorizing casinos and daily fantasy sports have stalled.
Will sports betting be legalized in Texas?
Most people do not realize that the Texas Legislature meets only in odd years. As such, the two bills have gone untouched for nearly two years.
The earliest lawmakers can revisit the pair of proposals is January 2021. Voters would need to approve the referendum for a constitutional amendment in fall 2021. Then the state could move forward to shaping the Texas sports betting industry.
But even advancing legislation to the November ballot appears to be an improbable situation.
For years, bills have been cast to the side due to a variety of factors, ranging from disagreement with what measures attempt to accomplish or simply because of party affiliation. These sports betting proposals, for example, were introduced by a Democrat in a Republican-filled state, which does not bode well for the future of the bills.
Where would I be able to make legal sports bets in Texas?
Only two casinos operate in the state. And any efforts to add more have quickly been rebuffed in the past.
While the existing casinos remain difficult to access, the latest proposals would allow for online and mobile sports betting.
Sports Betting In Texas
As a result, and if somehow legislation passes to legalize sports betting, those located within Texas’ borders would potentially have access to up to 10 online sportsbooks.
Obviously, this is all hypothetical, as plenty of work — and wishful thinking — remains for the proposed legislation.
What sports could I bet on in Texas?
As the bill is written, operators would be authorized to offer wagering on professional and college sports.
Other states with legalized sports betting typically feature a multitude of wagering options, including American and international sports.
Visit any number of legal sportsbooks, and you will see common betting market threads:
- Boxing
On top of all this, operators also offer markets on more niche sports, including Australian rules football, cricket, rugby, table tennis and darts.
Betting on Texas sports teams
If Texas ever does legalize sports betting, it would behoove lawmakers to allow bettors to wager on Texas-based teams. After all, the state does feature some of the most recognized professional and college teams in the country.
In the four major North American professional leagues alone, Texas boasts eight franchises:
- Houston Astros (MLB)
- Texas Rangers (MLB)
- Dallas Mavericks (NBA)
- Houston Rockets (NBA)
- San Antonio Spurs (NBA)
- Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
- Houston Texans (NFL)
- Dallas Stars (NHL)
If that weren’t enough, Texas also features 12 Division I colleges competing in the FBS and a host of others in the FCS.
- Baylor (Big 12)
- TCU (Big 12)
- Texas (Big 12)
- Texas Tech (Big 12)
- Texas A&M (SEC)
- Houston (AAC)
- SMU (AAC)
- North Texas (C-USA)
- Rice (C-USA)
- UTEP (C-USA)
- UTSA (C-USA)
- Texas State (Sun Belt)
What would be the minimum age for sports betting in Texas?
While each state that legalizes and launches sports betting differs in many ways, several shared traits do exist.
Among them is the minimum age for individuals to participate in regulated sports betting.
No doubt, then, Texas would follow the trend and require bettors to be at least 21 years old in order to place regulated wagers.
How do I deposit money into an online sports betting account?
Online sportsbooks elsewhere offer many methods for funding a sports betting account. Often, the list includes:
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- Credit/debit cards
- Prepaid cards
- Check/money order
- Bank wire transfer/e-check/ACH
- PayPal/Skrill/Neteller
- PayNearMe
- Cash at cage of casino affiliated with an online sportsbook
Sportsbooks also frequently offer deposit bonuses, so paying attention to bonus codes to receive said bonuses is recommended.
Sports Betting Texas
Withdrawal options
Texas Online Gambling Laws
Gaining access to winnings is usually fairly simple. Many online sportsbooks in other states allow customers to use similar methods for withdrawal.
Sports Betting Casinos In Texas
Popular options include PayPal and similar online payment processors. Sportsbooks also offer bank transfers and e-checks as well as paying via cash at the casino cage.