Texas Sports Betting — Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Texas?

Recommended Betting Sites Available in Texas

1. BetUS — Best Online Sportsbook
2. Bovada — Best Betting Variety
3. Everygame — Best Live Betting Platform
4. BetNow — Best Horse Racebook
5. MyBookie — Best Option for Beginners

#1

BetUS – Best Online Sportsbook

OUR RATING

4.9/5 stars.

BetUS has been one of the leaders in the online sportsbook game since its inception in 1994, and they provide one of the best betting experiences around. They offer a range of betting options, generous bonuses, a selection of banking options and great live bets. BetUS TV and LockerRoom, where you can find expert tips, picks and advice, are also great additions and a unique offering among sportsbooks.

Where BetUS really stands out is their points-based loyalty program, which allows habitual bettors to gain perks for sticking with the site. The great thing about the program is that members are automatically enrolled after their first deposit of $50 or more. From there you earn points on every wager, which are tracked in your account and which you can see accumulating on your betslip.

Perks of the program include free payouts, BetUS loyalty program casino tournaments, an exclusive toll-free customer support number, new free play cash at each level, along with extra bonus offers and extra contest entries. The higher your tier, the better the perks.

The BetUS loyalty program has six tiers: blue, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, and black. Each level has its own unique perks, which include free cashouts, contest entries, and extra reload bonuses. The more you gamble, the higher you can climb and the more perks you will get.

125%up to $2500

• Fast payout within 48 hours
• Horse racing and esports betting
• Live dealer games

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#2

Bovada – Best Betting Variety

OUR RATING

4.7/5 stars.

For bettors that like to cast a wide net with their wagers, we recommend Bovada. With decades of experience in the market Bovada has built an impressive selection of sports and sports leagues to bet on, along with a variety of other fun options like entertainment and political bets, props on who the next Pope will be, and even a live lottery-esque numbers game with a new round starting every two minutes.

You can also enjoy the novelty of watching camels race in the virtual sports hub, where you can start your own RNG-simulated contests or bet on scheduled virtual events.

Whether you are are looking to put money on an Austin FC vs. FC Dallas matchup, Greg Abbott’s shot at a presidential nomination, or longtime El Paso resident Cormac McCarthy’s shot at the next Nobel Prize for Literature (all real options, by the way), we can confidently recommend Bovada.

50%up to $1000

• Horses, sports, poker, & live games
• Extra bonuses for bitcoin users
• Quality VIP/loyalty program

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#3

Everygame — Best Live Betting Platform

OUR RATING

4.5/5 stars.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Everygame live betting platform is how much easier it is to look at than other online sportsbooks. The user interface and experience are enough to score it as the best live betting platform we’ve seen.

Rather than cramming a full menu onto the page alongside hundreds of live scores, Everygame prioritizes the data users are there for — match ups and live scores. The collapsible menu and bet slips let the user customize their view as well.

And where other platforms have noticeable, if minimal, loading times when switching between sports and leagues, Everygame’s filters work just as seamlessly.

So, the next time the game’s on — Astros, Spurs, Stars, Mavs, Cowboys, Austin FC — we recommend logging into Everygame for live betting.

100% up to $500

• Accepts US players
• 24/7 Customer service
• Comprehensive mobile experience

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#4

BetNow – Best Horse Racebook

OUR RATING

4.2/5 stars.

While live Texas horse racing may have passed its heyday, there’s still seasonal live racing at racetracks like Lone Star Park, Retama Park, and Sam Houston Race Park. For bettors who can’t make the trek across the state to San Antonio or Grand Prairie (near Dallas), we recommend BetNow’s racebook.

If you can forgive the clunky interface, BetNow is a great place for Texans to wager on thoroughbred and harness racing. The tracks are easy to find as BetNow prioritizes American racing over international options, and has an easy-to-use advanced search that lets users search for specific tracks. There’s even a specific 10% weekly rebate on horse racing that bettors can redeem weekly.

Bet management and tracking (active bets, final bets, and results) is easy through an always active side rail that you can open in a separate window if you’d like to see a more detailed view.

100%up to $1,000

• Accepts US players
• Competitive betting lines and odds
• Top-rated prop builder

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#5

MyBookie — Best Option for Beginners and Novices

OUR RATING

4.5/5 stars.

While it maybe not happen as often as we’d like, every once in a while, the home team goes on a great run — the Houston Astros in 2022, the Texas Rangers in … well, never actually.

But whenever this does happen, sportsbooks are inundated with new bettors. But not all of them are equipped to properly teach beginners the ins and outs of wagering — not to mention the associated lingo. That’s why we recommend MyBookie for first-time bettors.

MyBookie has one of the best help sections we’ve seen, and it’s he easy to navigate to from the home page. The dedicated Help Center is broken into eleven larger categories covering everything you need to know before placing a bet, including:

• Making Deposits
• Sports Betting
• Payouts
• Account Help
• Terms and Conditions

You don’t even need an account to use it. The help center includes both videos and articles for users to rely on. If any questions aren’t answered there, non-members can also reach out through an email contact form, while members have access to a live chat.

100%up to $1000

• Huge variety of betting options
• Unique live betting feature
• Solid promotions for all members

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Comparing the Best Texas Betting Sites

How We Choose the Best Online Texas Sportsbooks

Before making recommendations, our experts evaluate each online sportsbook from the perspective of Texas players to ensure they meet our strict standards. We check for:

Availability in Texas 

Can you access the sportsbook in Texas?

Many online sportsbooks have geographic restrictions on specific states, but if you stick with our list of recommended sportsbooks for Texans, you’ll be able to bet with ease from El Paso to Houston and Amarillo to Brownsville.

Safety & Security

Are your deposits and personal information protected?

Online sportsbooks can’t be licensed in Texas, so we look for online sportsbooks licensed by reputable authorities internationally before recommending them to Texans. These sites also need to meet the global standard for encryption protocols (TLS) and have user account safety policies (phone number, identity verification, two-factor authentication) in place.

Payment Options

Are there a variety of secure options for deposits and withdrawals?

Like other Americans, Texans have more banking options than ever — especially given the explosion of cryptocurrencies in the past five years. This reality should be reflected by cashiers at the online sportsbooks for bettors in TX. We also assess:

• Compatibility with popular digital wallets and electronic transfer systems Texans rely on (like Cash App or PayPal)
• Minimum/maximum deposit and withdrawal requirements
• Processing times
• Processing fees

Texas Sports Coverage

Is there a diverse range of sports and leagues to bet on?

Professional teams and high-performance college teams have a massive presence in Texas sport. No matter the season, you’ll find a Lone Star team to throw your bets behind — depending on the coverage offered by your chosen sportsbook, that is.

We want to send you to a sportsbook where you can bet on Austin-based Complexity’s Counter-Strike team as easily as the Mavs.

Competitive Odds & Betting Lines

Is the sportsbook using accurate data, precise analysis and well-rounded expertise?

A great sportsbook will have fair and competitive odds on par with the rest of the industry. We look at betting lines and the value they offer. This is especially true when it comes to the more popular Texas betting events like NASCAR’s AAA Texas 500.

We also consider vig in comparison with the industry standard (2% on the low end, 10% on the high end).

Customer Support

Is the customer service comprehensive, well-informed, and accessible?

With nearly 250,000 residents working in 600+ call centers, there’s no doubt Texans know approachable and professional customer service when they run into it. Sportsbooks we recommend must have excellent customer support options (24/7 live chat, email, phone, FAQs, and tutorial articles or videos) as well as courteous, well-informed, and responsive agents. Southern hospitality, anyone?

Mobile Compatibility

Is the mobile sportsbook compatible and consistent across devices?

With some devastating losses and incredible championships under their belts, Texas sports fans know things can change on a dime. Imagine if Justin Verlander had landed on the injury list during the Astros’ historic finals run in the 2017 World Series!

Bettors need to be able to modify their wagers down to the wire — and on the fly. Instant play, mobile sportsbooks that match or even outperform the desktop version are the gold standard we look for.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Texas?

Sports betting is not legal under Texas law. It is currently under the umbrella of Article 3, Section 47 of the Texas Constitution, which states that “all forms of gambling are prohibited.”

There has been growing interest and significant campaigning by lobbyists, professional sports teams, and major casino brands for regulated Texas sports betting. Despite that, passing any state-level laws to legalize it is a massive challenge. Any change to gambling laws in Texas requires a constitutional amendment. In Texas, constitutional amendments need approval from two-thirds of the state legislature (aka bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and Senate) as well as a majority vote in a statewide referendum.

This is why the online sportsbooks we recommend at the Sports Geek are regulated and licensed out-of-state by international gambling bodies. That way, as a Texan, you are free to bet on your favorite team or sporting event.

Sports Betting Legislation in Texas

On May 14, 2018, a federal-level sports betting ban was overturned by US Supreme Court, putting sports betting legislation and regulation back in state hands. Since then, many bills have been proposed by Texas lawmakers to address sports betting (online, retail, or both) in the state — all have failed to make it through the state house or senate or were simply DOA. (HB 1121, SB 1980, HB 3043, HB 2303 and HB 1275, to name a few.)

As of May 2023, the most promising sports betting bills remaining in circulation are:

• HB 1942: Proposes legal mobile sports betting with a licensing fee of $500,000 and a tax rate of 10% on revenue. (Heard and approved by the House State Affairs Committee.)
• HJR 102: Proposes a constitutional amendment to legalize wagering on sports events. (Heard and approved by the House State Affairs Committee.)
• SJR 17: Proposes a public vote on expanding retail gambling to allow four resorts to develop casinos with sportsbooks. (Referred to the House State Affairs Committee.)

Horse Racing Legislation in Texas

Retail horse racebooks, pari-mutuel wagering on live horse races, race simulcasting, and historical racing machines (HRMs) are legal and regulated in Texas.

The Texas Racing Act was passed in 1986, and a subsequent state referendum in 1987 approved pari-mutuel wagering on races. The Act lays out the framework for horse races and the Texas Racing Commission (TRC), which regulates the industry. The act was last amended in 2019, one result of which was to authorize the use of HRMs at licensed tracks. HRMs allow bettors to wager on previous races that have been electronically anonymized.

Popular Texas race tracks include:

Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie — Live racing season April–July and September–November

Sam Houston Race Park in Houston — Live racing season January–April

Retama Park in Selma — Live racing season May–October

Gillespie County Fairgrounds — Live racing over four weekends in July and August

Online Racebooks in Texas

Online racebooks are not addressed by the Texas Racing Act, meaning there are no legal online racebooks licensed in Texas. However, the horse race betting sites we recommend are licensed and regulated by international gaming bodies and are available to Texas-based bettors.

At these sites, bettors will find international races year round as well as the seasonal races hosted at Texas tracks.

The Future of Sports Betting in Texas

Most experts consider the prospect of Texas legalizing sports betting in 2023, or even 2024, a long shot. The most likely scenario will see committee-approved bills HB 1942 and HJR 102 fail in the Senate.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Senate, has been steadfast in defending the Texas GOP’s opposition on gambling legislation. This is despite significant time and money spent by lobby groups like the Texas Sports Betting Alliance to meet a goal of seeing sports betting on a public ballot by November 2023.

Currently, according to Eilers & Krerjcik Gaming (EKG), a US-based gaming research firm, the best-case scenario for legal Texas sports betting is now 2025.

Texas Sports Betting Timeline

Citizens and lobby groups in Texas have been pushing for sports betting legalization for years. Here’s a look at the more recent history of sports betting legislation.

Popular Texas Sports Teams to Bet On

Across the biggest North American pro leagues (NHL, NFL, MLB, and NBA) Texas fields eight teams each year. This is not to mention Texas-based teams playing in smaller national pro leagues (AHL, NLL, WNBA), or popular NCAA teams. Here’s a breakdown of popular Texas sports teams by league to get you started.

Online Sports Betting for Texans by Location

Seeing as Texas is the second-largest state in the US by both size and population, we’ve narrowed down some recommendations based on regional interest.

Houston — BetNow

Often described as Texas’s most diverse city, we’re recommending BetNow for Houston residents looking for international leagues to wager on — from Polish basketball to South Korean baseball to Brazilian soccer.

Ready to play at BetNow?

Visit BetNow

Dallas — Bovada

While Dallas is home to teams like the Mavericks (NBA), Cowboys (NFL), Rangers (MLB), and Stars (NHL), it’s also a major hub for professional e-sports with teams and organizations like the Fuel, Empire, Team Envy and Complexity based there. Our rec for Bovada is based on its e-sports offerings of 10 different games and coverage of major tournaments.

Ready to play at Bovada?

Visit Bovada

San Antonio — BetUS

With 64% of residents identifying as Hispanic, for San Antonio, we’d recommend BetUS for its variety of Latin American and European Spanish leagues with betting lines — particularly for soccer. Bettors will find multiple leagues from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia.

Ready to play at BetUS?

Visit BetUS

Austin — Bovada

Sports bettors can Keep Austin Weird with a variety of entertainment, political, and special wagering events at Bovada. Sports bettors looking for something a little different can bet on the outcome of Eurovision, Kim Kardashian’s next boyfriend, and gas prices.

Retail Sports Betting in Texas

If you’re in Texas and looking to enjoy the novelty of an in-person sportsbook, you’ll have to travel out of state. There are a few options in neighboring states, as well as in nearby towns across the border with Mexico.

Sports Betting in Neighboring States

For those in northern Texas, three of Texas’ four neighbor-states have licensed land-based sportsbooks at casinos and racetracks:

Louisiana

In 2020, the Louisiana government passes a bill allowing sports betting in casinos and other venues with a license. The first retail sportsbooks went live in October of 2021.

LA Betting

Arkansas

Arkansas made in-person sports betting legal in 2019. Mobile sports betting in Arkansas went live in mid-2022 and has become a major source of tax revenue for the state.  

AR Betting

New Mexico

In 2018 a tribal gambling agreement that includes all forms of Class III gaming passed, making sportsbooks at tribal casinos legal in New Mexico.

NM Betting

Sports Betting in Mexico

If you’re in southern Texas, you might find it easier to travel across the US-Mexico border. If you don’t mind a road trip, you’ll be able to conduct your sports betting there at several reputable retail brands:

• Casino Caliente in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua — 30 minutes from El Paso, TX
• PlayCity in Monterrey, Nuevo León — 2h 45 minutes from Laredo, TX
• Codere in Monterrey, Nuevo León — 2h 45 minutes from Laredo, TX

Other Types of Gambling in Texas

Whether you enjoy, Daily Fantasy or casino games we have the perfect online recommendations for you to safely embark on your favorite gambling pastimes.

Popular Betting Events in Texas

As you know, sports are wildly popular in the Lone Star State, and it plays host to a number of different sporting events in which you can make a bet. Here are a few events you should keep an eye out for in your favorite online sports betting books.

NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament, or March Madness as it is better known as, was well represented by the state of Texas in 2023. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Baylor, Houston, Texas A&M, and Texas Christian all carried the Lone Star State flag high. The Cougars even earned a #1 seed in the Midwest Region. The city of Houston will also host the Final Four at NRG Stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. Texans all over the state should be preparing their March Madness betting strategy for next year.

NASCAR Cup Series

The NASCAR Cup series currently features two races in Texas if you want to do some NASCAR betting.

• The Texas Grand Prix, called the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in 2023, is a road course race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. It debuted in May of 2021, and has since moved to late March. It is one of five road-course races on the NASCAR schedule.
• Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth hosts the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 — the first race for the Round of 12 in the playoffs in September. Since 1997, the Texas Motor Speedway has also been hosting races in the Cup series and is generally known as one of the best tracks in NASCAR because of its high speeds. Texas Motor Speedway was the site of the first Cup win for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2000.

PGA and LPGA Tours

Texans love golf, and golf betting. The PGA Tour has long been associated with Texas and of course, the great Byron Nelson hailed from the Lone Star State. Jordan Spieth is born and raised in Texas, while Fred Couples went to the University of Houston (where his roommate was great CBS commentator Jim Nantz), and Scottie Scheffler went to the University of Texas (as did Spieth), which is one of the best university golf programs in the United States.

• The AT&T Byron Nelson is played just outside of Dallas and has been since 1944. It was also the first golf tournament to be named after a player, and is still only one of two tournaments, along with the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 
• The Houston Open has been played in Texas since 1946, and it used to be the tournament played the week before The Masters.
• The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play features 64 players playing match play, similar to the NCAA Tournament’s March Madness. However, 2023 will be the final time it is played altogether.
• The Valero Texas Open took over for the Houston Open in that it is a week before the Masters, and as it was established in 1922, it is the third-oldest tournament on the PGA Tour, and the longest to be played in the same city.
• The Charles Schwab Challenge was first played in 1946, and Colonial Country Club is consistently called one of the top courses on the PGA Tour.
• The LPGA also heads to Texas as the Chevron Championship is one of their five annual major championships, and The Volunteers of America Classic is played in the state.

Texas e-Sports

Texas has a major presence in e-sports, with several active professional organizations and teams that compete nationally and internationally. The state is also home to the largest e-sports stadium in the US, Esports Stadium Arlington, which is 100,000 square feet with seating for up to 2,500 spectators.

DreamHack is a travelling gaming festival that stops in Texas annually. The 2023 festival took place in June at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas and featured a tournament for CounterStrike, the Collegiate Rocket League Championships and a Halo Championship Series invitational (among others).

Professional Texas e-sports organizations like the Dallas Fuel, OpTic, Envy Gaming, Mavs Gaming, and Complexity spend a lot of time out-of-state as well, competing in events like the e-Sports Championship Series for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (which has been hosted in Texas before).

Whether the teams are competing at home or abroad, the benefit of online sportsbooks will be tracking their progress for bettors. Bovada is a great choice if you follow the Houston Outlaws, for instance.

Most Popular Teams to Bet on in Texas

Data we’ve been able to collect through popular sportsbook Bovada shows that Texans don’t always want to root for the home team — or bet on them at least. Here are a few of bettors’ favorite pro teams to wager on:

NFL Teams

NBA Teams

Banking Options at Texas Sports Betting Sites

We confirm two things about an online sportsbook’s banking methods before we consider recommending it to Texans. These are basic requirements that are the consumer standard for any online transaction in any state:

• Are there are a variety of payment options available for deposits and withdrawals?
• Are those options secure?

Minimal fees and short processing times are additional considerations. User preference will make the difference in some instances — some might prefer the anonymity of a crypto exchange where others prefer the familiarity of using a check — but the options should be there either way.

Some of the more popular banking options for Texans that online sportsbooks offer are:

Note that online sportsbooks do not offer credit options for payouts.

How To Bet on Sports in Texas

Texas Sports Betting News

March 18, 2023

How Does Texas Tax Gambling Winnings?

Read more…

December 6, 2022

Texas Approaches 2023 With the Potential to Legalize Sports Betting

Read more…

March 18, 2023

How Does Texas Tax Gambling Winnings?

Read more…

December 6, 2022

Texas Approaches 2023 With the Potential to Legalize Sports Betting

Read more…

Texas Sports Betting Sources

Learn more about Texas gambling and sportsbook laws from these cited sources:

Gambling Responsibly in Texas

We recommend sportsbooks available in Texas so bettors in the Lone Star State have safe options to enjoy wagering responsibly. We encourage all bettors to learn how to recognize the signs of problem gambling and the habits associated with responsible gambling.

If you aren’t having fun or feel a loss of control over your bankroll, it’s time to take a break. The following resources are available to Texans seeking help:

Texas Lottery Commission
Resources

The National Council on Problem Gambling
Online Resources
Hotline: 1-800-522-4700
Email: ncpg@ncpgambling.org

Texas Gamblers’ Anonymous
Find a Meeting
National Hotline: 1-855-2-CALL-GA
Austin: 1-512-860-2958
Dallas: 1-214-890-0005
Fort Worth: 1-817-371-0624
Houston: 1-855-442-7105
San Antonio: 1-210-705-4429

Gam-Anon Texas
Find a Meeting

Sports Betting Texas FAQs

Eddie Thompson

Content covered on TSG: reviews

With a degree in English Language and a passion for online gaming, Eddie has been writing for the online gambling industry since 2016. He specializes in reviewing online casinos and sportsbooks, looking for features that make the best gambling sites stand out. When not crafting informative and insightful reviews, Eddie enjoys playing poker and practicing his skills on the dartboard. With a keen eye for detail and a love of gaming, Eddie provides readers a valuable perspective on the world of casinos and sports betting.

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