Sports Gambling Legal In Texas

4/11/2022by admin
Sports Gambling Legal In Texas

Texas is a big place with a big personality. Tall hats, tall hair, and tall tales are what the state is known for.

The court found in favor of fantasy sports being a game of skill and therefore exempt from anti-gambling laws. Real money fantasy sports betting is now available in every US state in some form except Washington, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii. The minimum legal gambling age in Texas is dependent on the type of gambling in question. Players must be at least 18 years of age to play the lottery, engage in social gambling, office pools, charitable gambling, bingo, and pari-mutuel wagering on horses.

Gambling laws in Texas, however, are not so grand. If you are interested in knowing, “Is online gambling legal in Texas?” read on.

Texans use the word “freedom” quite a bit. They tend to use it in terms of 2nd Amendment gun laws that were created to help militias muster quickly against invading armies.

Despite the existence of several military branches and a National Guard, this constitutional amendment has come to be equated with personal freedom, not just in Texas, but across the nation.

However, you can’t play poker with friends in Texas. Not even in your own home, not with your own money, and not even if the curtains are closed.

When it comes to gambling, TX has less freedom than nearly any other state. There are, however, Texas online poker rooms that do accept players from the Lone Star State.

There is one casino on tribal lands within the state, owned by the Kickapoo tribe. There are other federally-recognized tribes in the state, but TX has fought assiduously against them opening their own gambling sites.

Federal discussion of the issue is now pending. Thus, many Texans turn to online casinos to play slots, roulette, baccarat, and other games.

And Yet…There Is Gambling in Texas

The state lottery is very popular in the state. Lotteries are the purest form of gambling available, involving no skill to win, unlike many casino games where a player can hedge his or her bets or watch the play and enter at optimal times.

Furthermore, betting on dog races and horse races in Texas is not only legal, but this betting activity attracts big crowds.

There is no rhyme or reason as to why these betting activities are legal in the state but other games are not. Even carnival games are forbidden from using stuffed animals to lure elementary school-aged players!

There is hope on the horizon for sports bettors. A lengthy bill was introduced to the legislature in 2019 to allow for and create parameters around legal sports betting in the state. The decision has not been made yet, but we suspect we will see some forward movement on this legislative proposal in 2020 or 2021.

If and when the bill is passed, sportsbook operators will need to pay a fee of a quarter-million dollars. The number of licenses that would be authorized is unknown.

As to daily fantasy sports, state legislators have made confusing remarks about the pastime. Is it legal or not? There was an attempt several years ago to declare DFS illegal, but DFS is still an active reality in the state.

Sports gambling legal in texasGambling

There are DFS sites licensed and regulated elsewhere that do accept Texas residents, but be aware that, given the confounding state of TX gambling laws, you do so at your own risk.

Texas

Is Online Gambling Legal in Texas?

It’s not legal for any Texas-based operator to offer real money online gambling to Texas residents. However, there are sites outside the state that are licensed and regulated and accept players from Texas.

We have researched and ranked all of the online gambling sites for Texas, should players choose to explore the gaming at online casinos and sportsbooks.

We rank these sites based on the quality of key criteria. First, we look to customer satisfaction with the site. Is it easy to navigate? Are wins paid promptly?

Next, we look to the state of the site’s internet security and how well funds and information are safeguarded. Is the security at the online casino cutting-edge and constantly monitored?

We are online gamblers, so we know that these are important factors in enjoying online play comfortably and with confidence.

Texas is an old territory with a proud heritage. Changes—to the law, to styles, to views—are often viewed with suspicion. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” seems to be the legislative approach to proposed changes in the law. However, there are some brave voices in the state that are working to legalize gambling.

Stay on top of evolving gambling news to know if changes are coming to Texas; it’s the best way to stay safe as you play.

Texas is one of the strictest states when it comes to gambling and its laws can cover a wide variety of activities. Under Texas law, (Penal Code §47.02) gambling is considered a criminal offense if someone:

  • makes a bet on the partial or final result of a game or contest or on the performance of a participant in a game or contest
  • makes a bet on the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or on the degree of success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate; or
  • plays and bets for money or other thing of value at any game played with cards, dice, balls, or any other gambling device.

The law does provide for some exceptions such as participating in the state lotteryor placing bets on horse and greyhound dog races (sometimes referred to as pari-mutuel wagering). The law also provides for some affirmative defenses to prosecution:

  • the actor engaged in gambling in a private place;
  • no person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings; and
  • except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning were the same for all participants

Additional exceptions include if the person reasonably believed their conduct:

  • was permitted under Chapter 2001, Occupations Code; (Charitable Bingo)
  • was permitted under Chapter 2002, Occupations Code; (Charitable Raffles)
  • was permitted under Chapter 2004, Occupations Code; (Sports Charity Raffles)

Is Sports Gambling Illegal In Texas

The first page of this guide will provide you with an overview of the Texas laws on gambling while the subsequent pages will discuss more specific topics like bingo, eight-liners and poker.

Good Prizes For Casino Night
Online Poker Sites Real Money
Comments are closed.