This guide covers everything a Texas resident needs to understand about sports betting in Texas as of July 16, 2026 — the current legal status, the specific operators available (if any), tax treatment, legislative history, and what residents can and cannot do today. Legal status in this space changes frequently; the sections below are current as of publication and are reviewed monthly by our editorial team.
Not currently legal in Texas
Not legal — mobile and retail sports betting both prohibited as of 2026. See the "What Texas residents can do today" section below for legal alternatives.
Texas sports betting at a glance
Texas is the largest US state without legal sports betting. Despite five legislative sessions of active bills since 2021, the state has yet to authorize either mobile or retail sportsbooks. Governor Greg Abbott has moved from active opposition to nominal openness, but Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick — who controls the Senate calendar — has repeatedly blocked bills from reaching a floor vote.
Population: 31.3 million. Legal mobile sports betting: no. Legal retail sports betting: no. Regulator: N/A — Texas Racing Commission oversees pari-mutuel, no gaming commission for sports.. Tax rate on gross gaming revenue: N/A (not legal).
Alternatives for Texas residents
Because Texas has not yet legalized sports betting, residents' options are limited to:
- Cross-border wagering — traveling to an adjacent legal state and using a mobile operator there while physically inside that state's geofence. Geolocation requirements make this legal only while in-state.
- Daily fantasy sports — DraftKings, FanDuel, PrizePicks, Underdog and other DFS operators serve Texas under DFS-specific statutes distinct from sports betting.
- Offshore sportsbooks — books licensed outside the US accept Texas residents but operate outside US state regulatory frameworks. See our independent sportsbook reviews for coverage of the offshore market. Offshore operators do not carry state-regulated consumer protections and cannot be enforced against by the Texas attorney general in the event of a dispute.
- Retail casino gaming — Texas's casinos, where they exist, offer non-sports gaming under separate authorization.
None of these substitute for a licensed, in-state, regulated mobile sportsbook. The gap in consumer protection is meaningful and worth understanding before choosing any of the above.
What Texas residents can do today
Texas residents cannot legally place a real-money sports wager within state lines. Some cross state lines to Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas or Oklahoma (Osage Nation retail) to place bets legally. Daily-fantasy operators (DraftKings DFS, FanDuel DFS, PrizePicks, Underdog) operate in Texas under DFS-specific statutes. Offshore sportsbooks accept Texas residents but operate outside US state regulatory frameworks.
Legislative history and current status
Texas's sports-betting legislative history matters because it explains why the state's current status is what it is. The sequence below covers every material development since 2019.
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 2021 | HB 2070/SJR 39 filed. Died in committee. |
| 2023 | HJR 155/HB 1942 gained meaningful traction. Passed House committee. Died on Senate side. |
| 2025 | HJR 134 and HB 1942 filed. HJR 134 advanced from the State Affairs Committee — the furthest a sports-betting resolution has ever progressed. Died before a floor vote when Lt. Gov. Patrick declined to schedule it. |
| 2026 | No sports-betting bill filed in the 2026 special session. Next opportunity: 2027 regular session. |
Bills to watch in the next legislative session
HJR 134 (constitutional amendment) — the closest recent bill to passage. Expected refiling in the 2027 regular session.
Tribal-gaming considerations
The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe operates Lucky Eagle Casino near Eagle Pass under Class II gaming. Alabama-Coushatta and Ysleta del Sur operate limited gaming. None currently offer sportsbook.
Market size and economic context
Texas is projected to generate $2.5-4B in annual handle if legalized — the largest untapped US sports-betting market.
Market-size projections matter more than headline numbers because they explain the political economy of legalization. States with large projected markets attract more operator lobbying, more legislative attention, and — often — faster passage once the political conditions align. States with smaller projected markets can pass legislation with less controversy but generate less state revenue post-launch.
Public opinion in Texas
Recent polling by University of Houston puts support at 60-65% among Texas voters, with rural voters roughly split and urban/suburban voters strongly supportive.
Comparing Texas to neighboring states
Regional context matters because Texas residents already cross state lines to wager (or would). The regulated status of neighboring states affects both current cross-border handle and the political pressure on Texas's legislature.
Consult our full state-by-state guide for current status across all 50 US states. The map view lets you see at a glance which states around Texas are mobile-legal, retail-only, or unregulated.
Responsible gambling in Texas
Whether you bet in a Texas-regulated market, cross state lines, or use offshore operators, responsible-gambling tool availability varies dramatically. Texas has no state-regulated sports-betting operators, so any responsible-gambling tools you use come from whatever operator you choose. Offshore operators typically provide self-service deposit and time limits; regulated operators in adjacent states offer more comprehensive frameworks.
The most important single decision any sports bettor can make is to set a deposit limit at account creation — not later. Bettors who set limits at signup have measurably better long-term outcomes than those who intend to set them "eventually." See our responsible gambling overview for tools and helpline numbers.
Line shopping and hold rates in Texas
The mechanics of line shopping and hold rates matter regardless of whether you're currently in a regulated market — they are the difference between a profitable and a losing long-term bettor.
Our hold and vig explainer walks through the pricing calculation. In short: standard NFL sides carry 4.5-5% hold, NBA and MLB sides carry approximately 4.5%, alt lines carry 5-8%, and player props carry 7-12%. Parlays compound to 15-25%+ theoretical hold. Line-shopping across two or three operators on every wager is worth roughly 1-2% of ROI to typical bettors and more to volume grinders — see our closing-line-value guide for the underlying math.
Cross-border logistics: how Texans actually bet legally today
Because Texas has not legalized sports betting, the practical reality is that a significant number of Texans bet legally by driving across state lines. Understanding the cross-border logistics matters if you want to bet without exposure to legal ambiguity.
Louisiana is the most-used cross-border option for east and southeast Texas residents. Louisiana legalized mobile sports betting in 55 of its 64 parishes in 2022; the New Orleans-area parishes (Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany) plus most of the north-Louisiana parishes are covered. A Houston resident can drive to Beaumont (90 minutes) or Lake Charles (2.5 hours) and register for a Louisiana mobile account inside the state's geofence, then bet mobile from within Louisiana. Registration is remote-eligible in Louisiana as of 2023.
New Mexico offers retail-only sports betting at tribal casinos in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas. This is the closest legal option for El Paso and the Panhandle. Mobile is not authorized in New Mexico.
Arkansas mobile is available for northeast Texas residents willing to drive to Texarkana. Arkansas's three-operator mobile market (Betly, BetSaracen, ESPN Bet Arkansas) opened for remote signup in 2022.
Oklahoma retail sports betting is available at Osage Nation properties (WinStar and others). Mobile has been repeatedly proposed and never passed. Retail-only for now, popular with Dallas-Fort Worth residents.
The Texas legalization political map — where the real votes are
Texas sports betting legalization is a two-body problem. The state House has been the more receptive chamber — HJR 155 (2023) and HJR 134 (2025) both cleared committee and demonstrated broad House support. The Senate, controlled procedurally by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, has been the blocker. Patrick has stated publicly that he will not allow a sports-betting bill to reach the Senate floor without demonstrated support from a supermajority of Republican senators — a threshold that has not been reached.
The stakeholder map that actually determines Texas legislative outcomes:
- Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) — the coalition of the four largest US operators (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars) plus regional operators. Primary legislative lobbying force in Austin.
- Texas professional sports franchises — Dallas Cowboys, Houston Rockets, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Astros. All publicly supportive; owner Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban have been vocal advocates.
- Kickapoo Traditional Tribe (Eagle Pass) — the state's only federally-recognized Class III gaming tribe. Any legalization framework must account for tribal exclusivity considerations, though the Kickapoo's leverage is smaller than California tribes' leverage in that state.
- Texas Racing Commission constituency — Sam Houston Race Park, Lone Star Park, Retama Park. Small but vocal, and traditionally allied with the racing industry in other states' sports-betting frameworks.
- Anti-gambling social conservatives — the primary political opposition, historically concentrated in the Senate Republican caucus. Governor Abbott has moved from opposition to nominal openness; Lt. Gov. Patrick has not.
The realistic path to Texas legalization: (1) a constitutional amendment (required in Texas because gambling is constitutionally restricted), (2) two-thirds passage in both chambers, (3) statewide voter referendum. The 2027 regular session is the next serious opportunity. The 2029 session is the more realistic likely-passage window if 2027 fails.
What legalization would look like in Texas
Based on the frameworks proposed in HJR 134 and HJR 155, and comparable large-state launches (Ohio, Michigan), the shape of a Texas sports-betting market when it eventually launches would likely include:
- Mobile-first launch — Texas's massive geographic size makes mobile essential. Retail-only would leave the vast majority of the population without practical access.
- 15-20% tax rate — HJR 134 proposed 15%. Ohio's 20% and New York's 51% are outliers on the high end; most large states have settled at 10-15%.
- Multiple operators day one — expect DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, ESPN Bet, Fanatics, and potentially bet365 to launch simultaneously. Texas's population supports 8+ operators at scale.
- Retail component — expected at the state's five professional-sports venues (AT&T Stadium, Toyota Center, Globe Life Field, American Airlines Center, Frost Bank Center) plus tribal Kickapoo properties.
- Projected first-year handle: $2.5-4B — placing Texas immediately in the top-5 US sports-betting markets by handle.
Bettors preparing for eventual Texas launch should evaluate now which operators best fit their profile. Our operator reviews cover every major sportsbook, with the practical criteria that matter: cashier speed, market depth, live-betting menu quality, and promotional cadence.
Historical bill deep-dive: what almost passed and why
HJR 155 (2023) proposed a constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to authorize sports wagering. It passed the House Committee on State Affairs 8-5 in April 2023, then died in the House Calendars Committee before reaching a floor vote. The primary reason: session-time expiration combined with insufficient Senate signals that the bill would advance if the House passed it.
HJR 134 (2025) was the closest a Texas sports-betting bill has come to passage. It cleared the State Affairs Committee 9-4, cleared the Calendars Committee, and was on the House floor calendar for the final week of session. Lieutenant Governor Patrick made a public statement that the Senate would not consider the bill even if the House passed it, which killed the House's motivation to expend political capital on a vote destined to die in the Senate. The bill was pulled from the calendar and expired with the session.
The through-line across all failed Texas bills is not public opinion — 60-65% of Texans support legalization per multiple 2024-2025 polls — but rather Senate procedural politics under Patrick. As long as the Senate leadership blocks floor consideration, the House cannot unilaterally legalize sports betting in Texas.
Daily fantasy in Texas
DraftKings, FanDuel, PrizePicks and Underdog all operate in Texas under DFS-specific statutes distinct from sports-betting law. This is a permanently uncertain legal footing — the Texas Attorney General's 2016 opinion classified DFS as gambling under state law, but no operator has been prosecuted and the market operates openly. Texas is the third-largest DFS market in the US by revenue after New York and California.
DFS is not a substitute for sports betting in terms of markets available (no spreads, no totals, no live betting, no props on individual outcomes) but does provide a legal-adjacent path to skill-based sports wagering while Texas remains sports-betting-illegal.
Frequently asked questions about sports betting in Texas
Is sports betting legal in Texas?
No — Not legal — mobile and retail sports betting both prohibited as of 2026
When will sports betting become legal in Texas?
HJR 134 (constitutional amendment) — the closest recent bill to passage. Expected refiling in the 2027 regular session.
Can I use offshore sportsbooks in Texas?
Offshore operators accept residents but operate outside US state regulatory frameworks. The legal status of a resident placing wagers with an offshore operator varies by state; enforcement against individuals has been rare but is not zero. Offshore operators do not carry state-regulated consumer protections.
Can I bet legally by crossing into a neighboring state?
Yes — mobile sportsbooks in adjacent legal states use geolocation to enforce in-state wagering. If you are physically inside the geofence of a mobile-legal state at the moment you place a bet, and you have registered an account with that operator, the wager is legal in that state's jurisdiction.
How do sportsbook welcome bonuses work?
Welcome bonuses are typically match-deposit offers with a rollover requirement (playthrough) before withdrawal is allowed. Effective value is generally 25-70% of the headline figure once you account for the rollover math. See our welcome-bonus pillar for the calculation framework.
What sports have the highest betting handle?
NFL is the largest single-sport handle in the US, followed by NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. Soccer and UFC generate significant handle around major events. Live betting now accounts for over half of all US sportsbook handle across every sport.
Where can I get help if my gambling stops being fun?
Call the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (available 24/7, confidential, free). State-specific resources are linked from our responsible gambling overview.