Texas

Sportsbooks

Texas is a sports crazy state you’d think online sports betting would be a no-brainer. Well, think again, as the Lone Star State is staunchly anti-gambling in about every which way. The state also has an intense partisan political landscape so even though there was a bill brought forth in the statehouse in 2019 allowing sports betting, it was written by a Democrat and this can only mean it is as good as dead. It will be some time before we see a sportsbook, online or on-land, in Texas, by 2020?

Casinos

The anti-gambling streak in Texas extends to their casino industry as well. While there are a few Tribal Casinos available in the state, they are extremely regulated. For instance, you won’t find traditional table games such as craps, roulette, or blackjack. Video poker, slots, and live poker are their big draws

Online Poker

As mentioned, live poker is very big in Texas and the poker rooms in their casinos are always full. However, the state has done nothing to legitimize online poker so the only options in the state are via off-shore sites.

Lotteries

Texas does put its anti-gambling stance aside when it comes to their lottery. While not the biggest in the world, Texas does deliver a solid, straightforward lotto with all the major players with all the major games. Mega Millions, Powerball, and countless scratch offs are all available in the state.

Fantasy Sports

While wagering on fantasy sports is not necessarily legal in Texas, the DFS sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel are operating in the state via the state laws’ grey area. The issue is in the courts and no final decision looks to be coming anytime soon, so, until one does, wagering on fantasy sports is “legal.”

Horse Racing

Unfortunately for Texas horse racing betting fans, the sport is slowly dying off in the state. The tracks have been declining for decades now and the fact the playing the ponies is illegal hasn’t helped anything. There was a brief legal fight to bring online wagering back to Texas but it had no traction and died right out of the gate.

Horse Racing Tracks in Texas:

  • Lone Star Park, Grand Prairie
  • Sam Houston Race Park, Houston
  • Retama Park, Selma

10 Biggest cities in Texas for online gambling:

  1. Houston
  2. San Antonio
  3. Dallas
  4. Austin
  5. Fort Worth
  6. El Paso
  7. Arlington
  8. Corpus Christi
  9. Plano
  10. Laredo