Whether you’re a fan of the Cowboys, Rangers, Rockets, or any other Texan sports team, there are ways to back your favorite players, even though most forms of sports betting remain illegal in the state.
That said, you must be aware of Texas’s legal sports betting landscape before downloading sports betting apps to ensure you only sign up for legal and legitimate sites.
This article introduces you to the best sports betting apps in Texas that are currently legal. We also explain the legality of mobile sports betting and reveal which sportsbooks will likely launch in Texas in the coming years.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Texas?
Real-money sports betting is still illegal in Texas. Therefore, you can’t currently download sports betting apps like FanDuel, DraftKings, or BetRivers to place wagers on the Cowboys, Rangers, or Rockets. Other forms of mobile-based gambling are also illegal in Texas, so you can’t play at online casinos on your smartphone, either.
Since 2023, however, several attempts have been made to legalize sports betting in Texas. HJR 134, filed by Representative Sam Harless in 2023, sought to legalize wagering on specific sporting events in Texas. Still, it did not pass through the Senate despite research showing that up to 60% of Texans would favor the legalization of sports betting in the state[1].
You may also have heard Senator Greg Abbott admit he’s open to letting voters decide on sports betting in Texas. When asked about the legalization of sports betting in February 2025, the Governor said: “What I believe about online gaming, it would expand gaming in the state of Texas … It requires a constitutional amendment. What I’m in favor of is giving it to the voters and let the voters decide.[2]”
While this doesn’t necessarily mean a constitutional amendment is forthcoming, we can expect a referendum on online gambling in Texas. It will likely include a vote on online sports betting apps like FanDuel and DraftKings so that we can expect movement on this front within the next few years.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting Options for Texas Sports Fans
So, at the time of writing, it is illegal to place real money wagers on sports betting apps in Texas. As such, you can’t legally bet on the Cowboys or Rangers via a conventional sportsbook’s app.
However, the good news is that several legal options are available to you in Texas if you want to bet on sports on your smartphone. These sites are sweepstakes sportsbooks, also known as social betting sites, and they are currently legal in TX.
Rather than wagering real money, you use virtual currency to place your sports bets. You can redeem cash prizes or gift cards if you win your selections, provided that you meet the minimum redemption requirement.
Here are the top two sweepstakes sports betting apps in Texas:
Fliff Social Sportsbook
Fliff is the pick of the social sports betting apps in Texas. There are markets for football, basketball, baseball, hockey, tennis, MMA, boxing, and other major sports.
Fliff offers betting options for Texas teams in the MLB, NBA, and NHL, alongside NCAA markets, so you can bet on the Longhorns and other college teams.
Central to the experience at this social sportsbook is Fliff Cash. You receive one Fliff Cash as soon as you create an account, with no purchase necessary.
Then, if you buy at least $100 in Fliff Coins (for free, social betting), you will receive more Fliff Cash to use across the sportsbook. Other promotions include daily bonuses and loyalty rewards for Texans.
You can download Fliff Sportsbook for free on iOS or Android. It’s highly rated, with a score of 4.8/5.0 from 120,000+ iOS downloads and a rating of 4.7/5.0 from more than 100,000 downloads on Google Play.
Thrillzz Social Sportsbook
Thrillzz is a mobile-only social sportsbook that is available to all Texans over the age of 19. You can select your picks via the free Thrillzz Sportsbook and create squads with your friends in a social league format.
Like at Fliff, you can obtain free sweepstakes coupons to place social wagers at Thrillzz. Daily login rewards, special offers, and various social media competitions allow you to access more free sweepstakes coins.
The main difference here is that the sweeps coins at Thrillzz can’t immediately be redeemed for cash. Instead, you can potentially win “Prize Tickets” when you win your sports bets, which may be redeemed for real-world prizes if luck is on your side.
This excellent social sportsbook lets you participate in sweepstakes wagering on the NHL, NBA, MLB, and NFL.
You can download the free Thrillzz app today for iOS or Android. Again, it’s highly rated on both. It scores 4.4/5.0 from 1,900 downloads on iOS and 4.7/5.0 from over 10,000 downloads on Google Play.
Parimutuel Betting in Texas
The only other type of legal betting in Texas is parimutuel wagering. In this type of betting, you buy a ticket for a horse or dog race, and if your selection wins, you will win a share of the prize pool.
Parimutuel wagering is not currently available on a mobile app in Texas, but there are numerous venues throughout the state where it’s legal to bet. For instance, you can participate in parimutuel wagering at Lone Star Park, Retama Park, and Sam Houston Race Park in Texas.
Offshore or Out-of-State Sports Betting Apps in Texas
You’re probably aware that sports betting is legal in some US states. In fact, 38 states have legalized some form of sports betting at the time of writing. Approximately half of these states have an active online sports betting market.
Specifically, residents of the following states can legally bet on sports apps in the USA: 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.
Therefore, there is a temptation to use a VPN to sign up for an account at BetMGM, FanDuel, or DraftKings, which are available in the above-mentioned states.
However, we encourage you not to do this. Not only is it illegal, but if you win and are required to verify your identity and home address, the sportsbook will likely withhold your winnings. Then, you have no recourse, as you cannot legally claim your winnings if you bet at an offshore or out-of-state sportsbook illegally.
So, if you’re serious about betting on sports in Texas, we advise you to sign up for one of the social sportsbooks introduced above.
Then, if online sports betting is legalized in Texas in the coming years, you can download top sports betting apps like BetMGM and FanDuel to legally bet on your favorite teams.
Recap: The Best Sports Betting Apps in Texas
As of 2025, the best sports betting apps in Texas are Fliff and Thrillzz. These social (sweepstakes) sports betting apps invite you to wager with virtual currency rather than real money. Then, if you win your sports bets, you can redeem prizes if you meet the redemption limits.
Unfortunately, all real-money wagering via betting apps like BetMGM and BetRivers is illegal in Texas. However, given Governor Abbott’s recent announcement, we’re likely to see a referendum on legal sports betting in the coming months or years.
Should app-based sports betting be legalized in the Lone Star State, we will update this article. For now, download one of the free social sportsbooks introduced above to enjoy legal sweepstakes sports betting in Texas.
FAQ
Which are the best sports betting apps in Texas?
We rate Fliff and Thrillzz as the best legal sports betting apps in Texas. These are sweepstakes sportsbooks that use virtual currency. If you win your wagers and meet the sites’ redemption limits, you can cash out your virtual currency for cash prizes or gift cards.
Are sports betting apps legal in Texas?
No. At this time, all real money wagering remains illegal in Texas. Therefore, you cannot legally bet on popular apps like DraftKings or FanDuel in Texas. As explained above, your only option is to download social sportsbooks to wager with virtual currencies.
Can I use a VPN to bet on sports in Texas?
We advise against using a VPN to place real-money sports wagers in Texas. It’s illegal, and if you win your wagers, there’s no guarantee that the sportsbook will pay out. So, either sign up for one of the social sportsbooks above or wait until real-money sports betting is legalized in Texas.
[1] https://uh.edu/news-events/stories/2025/february/02042025-tx-leg-gambling.php
[2] https://www.fox4news.com/news/gov-greg-abbott-voters-sports-betting-casino