Texas is a sport-crazy state, with football, basketball, and baseball all hugely popular. But while millions of Texans cheer on the Cowboys, Mavericks, Astros, and Rangers each week, they’re frustrated by the state’s absence of legal sports betting options.
Here, Texas.Bet provides a comprehensive guide to the legal sports betting landscape in Texas. We explain the legality of sports betting and discuss some of the most recent attempts to change the laws.
We also consider the stance of key decision-makers in Texas and look to what potentially lies ahead for sports betting in the Lone Star State.
Is sports betting legal in Texas?
At the time of writing, sports betting is not legal under Texas law, as stated under Article 3, Section 47 of the Texas Constitution1. Following the US Supreme Court Ruling of 2018 that removed the federal ban on sports gambling, many Texans hoped their state would be one of the first to legalize sports betting, but no bill has yet been passed, though several attempts have been made.
Following that 2018 Supreme Court ruling, sports betting has been legalized in 39 states2Seven states have no legislation pending, while four have ongoing legislation or a ballot initiative. So, Texas is one of only 10 US states in which sports betting will be illegal in 2025, alongside California, Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
In Missouri, online sports betting is now legal but not yet operational.
Recent attempts to legalize sports betting in Texas
Texans are mixed in their position on legalized sports betting in the state. A growing minority wants a bill that legalizes online sports betting to pave the way for DraftKings and FanDuel to become legally available to Texans.
Several state legislative efforts have been attempted to legalize sports gambling in Texas. The first gained momentum in 2021 when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones argued that the legalization of sports betting would lead to improved fan engagement and higher revenues for Texas’ sports teams3.
In January 2021, the Texas state legislature met to discuss HB 1275, proposed by Representative Eddie Lucio III. However, by the end of May, the legislative session was closed, and no sports betting amendments had passed.
Fast-forward to November 2022, Senator Carol Alvarado pre-filed SRJ 17, a sports betting and casino bill, to get the issue of sports betting back on the agenda. Though polls suggested strong support for the bill, nothing came of it. The same is true of the bills proposed in February 2023.
At the start of 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced his support for legalized sports betting in the Lone Star State, signaling that this could be a big year for the industry.
In a February 2025 interview, the Governor said: “I don’t have a problem with online sports betting. The reality is that I’d be shocked if there were not some Texans that do it already.4”
While it remains to be seen whether Governor Abbott’s statement will yield any new developments in the House or Senate, Carol Alvarado and other key politicians in the Lone Star State are still pushing for the legalization of sports betting.
Given the filing of Joint Resolution 16 in November 2024, sports betting in Texas may first occur at “destination resorts” and then online5.
After all, many senior politicians in Texas are pushing the income-generation argument, suggesting that legal sports betting would be worth billions of dollars in revenue to the state. Many also think it would remove the threat of unlicensed offshore gambling, which many Texans currently participate in.
Senator Alvarado, one of the most active supporters of sports betting legalization, recently said: “Texans love to gamble, they’re doing it every place else, but here.” On destination sports betting, she said: “This would be a real boost, I think, to our economy, creating thousands and thousands of jobs.”
So, how can you legally bet on sports in Texas in 2025?
Although sports betting remains illegal in Texas at the start of 2025, we see Governor Abbott’s announcement, alongside the numerous recent attempted bills, as steps in the right direction. We expect that, in the coming months or years, Texans will be legally permitted to gamble online within the state.
But for now, here are some of your options if you want to bet on sports in the Lone Star State legally:
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting has been legal in Texas since 1933. It’s the only way to bet on sports legally in the Lone Star State. Rather than backing a horse or dog at fixed odds, parimutuel betting enables you to buy a ticket in support of one of the runners. If your selection wins, you will receive a payout based on the number of tickets sold.
All parimutuel betting in Texas is overseen and regulated by the Texas Racing Commission, with races held throughout the year at numerous tracks and venues. The biggest venues for parimutuel betting in Texas are Lone Star Park (Grand Prairie), Retama Park (Selma), and Sam Houston Race Park (Houston).
Sweepstakes online sportsbooks
Another option for Texans is to sign up for sweepstakes online sportsbooks rather than real money sites. Sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks are not illegal in Texas and are a viable option if you want to participate in sports wagering within state lines.
These sites operate with two virtual currencies: game coins that you can use to place free bets and sweeps coins that you can use for promotional wagering. If you win your bets with sweeps coins, you can redeem a cash prize or gift card, provided you meet the minimum withdrawal threshold.
While there are more sweepstakes casinos than sportsbooks in the United States, numerous options are available for Texans. We highly rate Legendz Casino as the best social sportsbook, where you can bet on the NFL, NBA, and NHL directly from Texas.
Fliff is another decent online sportsbook, though it doesn’t offer as many markets as Legendz. You can also check out Sportzino and Rebet, both available today in Texas.
Even if you use game coins to bet for free, signing up for a social sportsbook is a great way to bet with your friends for fun. You can also practice and familiarize yourself with sports betting strategies while waiting for sports betting to become legal in Texas.
Sports betting in neighboring states
Sports betting might be illegal in Texas but legal in Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico. While Arkansas and New Mexico have legalized retail and in-person wagering, Louisiana has rolled out online sports betting options throughout the Bayou State.
Many Texans point to the popularity and success of sports betting in Louisiana as evidence of what the Lone Star State is missing out on. BetMGM, FanDuel, bet365, Caesars, DraftKings, and Fanatics all operate legal sportsbooks in LA.
Since January 2022, LA residents 21 and over have been permitted to use mobile sportsbooks to place bets throughout the state. Betting on college and professional sports is legal throughout LA, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue each quarter.
If you live close to Louisiana or regularly work in the state, traveling across the border is a legal and viable way to participate in sports betting in 2025. However, given Governor Abbott’s recent comments, we may see an LA-style adaptation of legal sports betting in Texas in the coming years.
Legal Sports Betting in Texas: What You Need to Know
At this time, it is illegal to gamble in Texas. You cannot sign up for betting sites in Texas to wager on the NFL, NBA, or other sports. Equally, online casino gambling is illegal in Texas, meaning you can’t play slots or table games for real money.
However, several recent attempts to legalize gambling have been in the news. For instance, in February 2023, two separate bills were filed to get sports betting and land-based casino gambling on the November ballot1.
Specifically, HJR 134, filed by Representative Sam Harless, seeks “a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to legalize wagering in this state on certain sporting events.” HJR 137 is more complex and deals with issues around the taxation of sports and casino wagering in Texas.
News of these bills follows the announcement by Governor Greg Abbott that he wouldn’t stand in the way of sports gambling legislation.
Moreover, many Texans want to legally sign up for sportsbooks in the state. Research from the University of Texas in 2025 showed that 60% of Texans support legalizing online sports betting, signifying that there’s a chance the two recently proposed bills might pass2.
For Texas’ gambling laws to be changed, the state constitution must be amended, which requires two-thirds approval in both chambers. It remains to be seen whether there’s sufficient potential support within the legislature for Texas to legalize sports betting under the current administration.
Which Types of Sports Betting are Currently Legal in Texas?
Given that you can’t currently place real money wagers on the NFL, NBA, or MLB in Texas, which types of betting can you participate in?
Well, parimutuel sports betting is currently legal. Also known as pool betting, parimutuel betting involves buying a ticket for a horse or dog race. If you pick the winner, you will share the prize pool with other winners. This is different from fixed-odds betting, which remains illegal.
Parimutuel betting is not available online, but you can get involved by visiting any of the three class-one venues where it is legal in the state: Lone Star Park, Retama Park, and Sam Houston Race Park.
Another option is participating in social or sweepstakes sports betting, which is perfectly legal in Texas. This type of wagering involves virtual currency, often gold coins and sweeps coins, which you can use to place virtual bets on NBA, MLB, and NFL matches.
If you win your bets with the virtual currency, you can redeem your coins for a cash prize or gift card, provided you meet the redemption limit.
One of Texas’s best sweepstakes sportsbooks is Fliff, the first of its kind in the US market. You can also check out Thrillzz, launched in April 2024, and ProphetX, which are also sweepstakes casinos that Texans can play at.
Another option is Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS), which falls into a grey area. It’s not explicitly illegal to play at DFS sites, and many have been operating in the state for a decade without issue. If you want to play at DFS sites like FanDuel and DraftKings, you can create an account in Texas. But note that all sports wagering on these platforms is currently illegal.
Getting Around the Legislation: VPNs and Offshore Sports Betting?
Some people point out that a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can hide your location, letting you gamble at online sportsbooks in Texas. While true, gambling site regulators are getting tougher on license holders who don’t do enough to prevent customers from circumventing geo-restrictions.
Not only is it illegal to sign up for a sportsbook account with a VPN from Texas, but it can also cause issues when withdrawing your funds. The sportsbook might ask you to complete Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures. This would require you to send an ID and proof of address to prove you are who you say you are and live where you say you live.
If you’ve signed up for a sportsbook in a different state, you have no way of showing that you’re a legitimate resident. As a result, the sportsbook wouldn’t be required to pay out your winnings, and you’d have no recourse.
Some others look to offshore betting sites regulated by jurisdictions like Curacao as alternatives to state-licensed books. These sportsbooks tend to be less worried about where their customers come from and don’t always perform regular KYC checks.
But the point remains. Signing up to an offshore betting site in Texas is illegal, and your safety isn’t guaranteed. Again, what can you do if the sportsbook refuses to pay your winnings? You can’t report the book to law enforcement in Texas, as you broke the law to play at the site.
So, while the temptation is there, we strongly advise against using a VPN or signing up for an offshore sports betting platform. If you want to bet on sports now in Texas, sign up for a sweepstakes sportsbook.
The Top Betting Sites in Texas: Which Platforms Can We Expect?
We hope and expect the bills presented in February 2025 to be discussed and passed to the next stage by the end of the year. Depending on the framework implemented by the state legislature, we could see legalized sports betting in Texas in 2026 or 2027.
With that in mind, which sportsbooks will we see in Texas if sports betting is legalized? Many of the main players have already shown an interest in launching in Texas, California, and several other states where sports betting is currently illegal.
For example, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt announced that Texas is in the company’s “near-term model,” signifying that the betting giant would be keen to open in the state should the required legislation pass3.
BetMGM is one of the US market’s biggest and most popular sportsbooks. The site offers competitive odds, various promotions, and extensive markets for NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB fans.
BetMGM is currently legal in most US states where online sports betting is permitted, including Arizona, Colorado, Washington DC, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
We expect BetMGM to be one of the first sportsbooks available in Texas online gambling to become legal. The site would likely be joined by the following:
- DraftKings: We also expect DraftKings to be legally available in Texas. Known to Texans as one of the best places for DFS, DraftKings is home to an excellent sportsbook with great odds and good value betting options.
- FanDuel: Very similar to DraftKings, FanDuel made its reputation as a DFS site. Today, it operates a top-rated sportsbook and casino. We expect FanDuel to enter the Texan market as soon as it’s legal.
- Fanatics: We also hope to see Fanatics enter the Texan market when sports betting is legalized. Though similar to DraftKings and FanDuel, Fanatics is a hugely successful sports betting brand with a growing customer base in the North American market.
At the time of writing, the top legal sports betting sites in Texas are social bet sites like Fliff and Thrillzz. Both betting sites offer sweepstakes betting options for Texans and are legally available throughout the state.
However, given that new bills were introduced in the Texas legislature at the beginning of 2025, we expect further developments regarding the legalization of sports betting in Texas by the end of the year.
As a result, if online sports betting becomes legal in Texas in 2026 or 2027, we expect top betting sites like DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, and Fanatics to enter the market. Keep up to date with the latest developments on this page, and sign up for the top
The best sportsbooks for legal sports betting in Texas
When sports betting becomes legal in Texas, several popular betting sites and apps will likely enter the market. Here’s a list of platforms expected to be available:
Top Sports Betting Sites & Apps Expected in Texas:
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- Bet365
- ESPN Bet Texas
- Bally Bet
- Hard Rock Sportsbook
- BetRivers
While Texas still has a long way to go before legalizing sports betting, we expect FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, and BetMGM to enter the market as soon as it’s legal.
In May 2024, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins admitted that his firm was “gearing up for 2025,” with genuine hopes of launching in the Lone Star State this year6.
He said: “I think Texas has a real shot. (A bill) got through one chamber last year (2023). The Texas legislature doesn’t meet in 2024, so we’re really gearing up for 2025.”
There are several hurdles to climb, but we’re hopeful that sports betting could be legalized in Texas in the near future. Whether that’s in 2025, as Robins predicts, remains to be seen.
Potential Bonus Bet Offers to Expect in Texas Sports Betting
When sports betting launches in Texas, sportsbooks will likely roll out generous bonus bet offers to attract new users. Expect promotions like risk-free bets, deposit match bonuses, or no-deposit bonus bets. For instance, major sportsbooks such as DraftKings or FanDuel typically offer newcomers bonus bets ranging from $100 to as much as $1,000, giving players extra funds to explore different markets without risking their own cash right away.
Another common offer is the “bet and get” promotion, where placing an initial wager unlocks additional bonus bets. For example, a sportsbook might provide a “$50 Bonus Bet when you place your first $10 wager,” appealing directly to casual bettors. Always keep an eye out for promotional terms, as bonus bets usually come with wagering requirements or restrictions on bet types and minimum odds.
Texas Sportsbook Bonuses & Promo Codes (Expected Offers)
| Sportsbook TX | Potential Bonus | Promo Code |
|---|---|---|
| BetRivers | $500 2nd Chance Bet | USBTRV |
| Bet365 | Bet $1, Get $365 in Bonus Bets | USB365 |
| ESPN BET | $1,000 First Bet Offer | ESPN1000 |
| Hard Rock | $200 in Bonus Bets | HARDROCK |
| BetMGM | $1,500 First Bet Offer | no codes required |
Promo codes and bonuses are based on typical TX sportsbook promotions in other states and are subject to change upon launch in Texas.
The verdict: Are online sports betting apps legal in Texas?
In summary, real-money online sports betting is illegal in Texas in 2025, despite numerous recent efforts to push bills through the Senate. However, with support from Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Carol Alvarado, we may see progress in 2025 or 2026.
In the meantime, Texans can gamble at parimutuel venues in the Lone Star State and have access to social sweepstakes sportsbooks, which offer virtual currency for sports betting. Another option is to gamble in the neighboring states, such as Louisiana, where online betting is legal.
Keep checking back on Texas.Bet throughout 2025. If there are any significant changes, we’ll provide the updates and explain where you can legally bet in Texas online.