Legal Betting in Texas

Introduction

It’s no secret that Texas is one of the most conservative states when it comes to its approach to betting and gambling, both of which remain heavily regulated despite multiple legislative efforts to legalize and expand them. The laws are prohibitive, consistent with the historical and cultural rejection of any form of gambling. This article looks at the legality of gambling in Texas, which forms of gambling are allowed in the state, and lists the companies which provide online gambling. It then takes a deep-dive, looking at betting within the context of the sports sphere culturally and economically, as well as its problems and prospects.

Legislative of Betting in Texas

Under Chapter 47 of the Texas Penal Code, most forms of gambling are illegal, “a person commits an offense if he 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.” Under Section 47.02, betting is expressly prohibited on games, contests, or the performances of players in games; that prohibition extends to sports events. State-sanctioned lotteries, charitable bingo and pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound races (at licensed tracks) are exempt.

Texas Constitution, Article 3, Section 47 Article 3, Section 47 of the Texas Constitution provides that the legislature shall pass laws prohibiting lotteries and gift enterprises in this State. This constitutional foundation supports Texas’s very conservative posture. As of 2025, proposed laws to permit sports betting have all failed, making Texas one of the few states to currently prohibit legalized sports betting of any type, sport betting online or offline.

Kinds of bets and authorized activities

There are limited forms of legal betting in Texas. Pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound racing is allowed at licensed racetracks, where players can make bets and receive payouts, based on the stakes and the number of winners. The most common types of bet include win, place, and show (predicting the order of the first three finishers), and combinations thereof. As a note, live greyhound racing has mostly come to a halt, with the tracks mostly being operating facilities for simulcast betting.

The Texas Lottery was introduced in 1992 and features scratch-off games and draw games including Lotto Texas and Powerball and Mega Millions. The state's charitable bingo — regulated by the Texas Lottery Commission — permits nonprofits to play games under strict rules that benefits charitable causes. These are all the different kinds of gambling in Texas, except race gambling, sports betting, casino games, and online gambling.

Favorite Companies

The law is restricts the gambling, and t exas does not have a lot of betting companies. The state operates the Texas Lottery Commission, which works with vendors that have contracts for selling lottery products. For racing venues like Sam Houston Race Park in Houston and Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie – where pari-mutuel betting on horses takes place – the pandemic is particularly devastating. (Live greyhound racing has waned; what’s left is mostly simulcast betting.) Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque is mostly about simulcast betting.

Big sports betting companies like DraftKings or FanDuel are unable to do business in Texas because sports wagering is banned. Also, there's a ban on casino gambling, meaning casino companies cannot set up shop there. Apart from racetracks and lottery retailers, traditional offline betting venues still account for the bulk of wagers.

List of Key Betting Regulations in Texas

• Texas Penal Code Chapter 47 defines and prohibits most gambling activities.
• Texas Constitution, Article 3, Section 47, restricts lotteries and gambling, with exceptions for charitable bingo and the state lottery.
• Texas Racing Act governs pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound racing.
• Texas Lottery Commission regulates the state lottery and charitable bingo operations.
• No legislative provisions exist for legal sports betting or online gambling as of 2025.

Overview of Betting in Texas

The Social Acceptability of Betting

The famously conservative culture of Texas plays a big role in guiding the state’s betting laws. Gambling is seen by many residents and elected officials as a moral or social issue, tied up with addiction and economic ruin. Religious and advocacy organizations commonly oppose gambling expansion on the grounds that it is at odds with community values. But younger and urban people are more likely to favor legalized sports betting, suggest a changing mindset as time goes on.

The Economic Impact of Restraints on Wagering

Prohibition across most forms of gambling restricts Texas’ ability to capture revenue in a potentially lucrative industry. They added that states with legal sports betting, including Nevada and New Jersey, were reaping windfalls in tax revenues that support public services. In Texas, residents have crossed state lines to Louisiana and Oklahoma to take part in casino gambling and the wagering on sports, essentially losing out on valuable economic opportunities. This cross-border traffic is a source of a debate over legalization.

Legislative Measures and Prospects

Economic arguments, coupled with the rise of sports betting around the country, have led to proposals to legalize sports betting in recent legislative sessions. In 2025, sports betting bills were introduced and did not pass. Supporters tout potential tax revenue and job creation, while opponents cite worries about gambling addiction and social costs. Thanks to Texas’s notionally conservative, biennial legislative calendar, it’s unlikely there will be major change before 2027, yet as public opinion changes the story may well evolve.

Conclusion

Gambling in Texas is still a pretty limited activity when you get down to it. You can bet on horses and greyhounds in the state, the lottery, or charitable bingo. Texas Penal Code and the Texas constitution both have stringent regulations against sports betting, casino gambling, and internet betting. Some outlets, such as Sam Houston Race Park and lottery retailers, are crucial sales locations, but major betting companies are also prohibited from operating because of legal barriers. Cultural conservatism and legislative obstacles remain as influences on the betting landscape, but economic arguments and evolving mores may lead to more reform in the future. You will find below, nothing beats gambling with the score whilst betting in an online casino as much as Texas remains in the cautious run of opening for large scale gambling.