If you’re wondering whether you can legally place bets on sports in Texas, the short answer is: no, traditional sports betting is not currently legal in the state. Below is a full breakdown of the law, what is and isn’t allowed, current reform efforts, and what that means for Texans.
The Current Legal Framework
Under Texas law, wagering on the outcome of sport events—either in retail locations or online—is prohibited. The key statute is Texas Penal Code § 47.02, which makes it unlawful to gamble on games or contests in many cases.
Additionally, mobile or app-based sports betting platforms have no legal licence to operate in Texas.
While the federal ban on states allowing sports betting (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act or PASPA) was struck down in 2018, each state must choose to legalise and regulate sports wagering. Texas has not done so yet.
What Forms of Wagering Are Legal
Although traditional sports betting (on the outcome of games) remains illegal, Texas does allow some forms of wagering:
- Horse racing: Pari-mutuel wagering at licensed tracks is legal.
- Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): Some fantasy-sports contests (where you pick players or stats rather than bet on outcomes) are legally accessible in Texas.
- Sweepstakes or social competitions: Certain apps use a “sweepstakes” model rather than real-money sports betting and operate under different rules.
But to be clear: a full sportsbook (retail or mobile) permitting bets on sporting events such as the local professional teams is not legally operating in Texas.
Reform Efforts & Future Prospects
There is significant interest in legalising sports betting in Texas. For example:
- House Joint Resolution 134 (HJR 134) was introduced in 2025 to amend the Texas Constitution so the Legislature could authorise sports wagering.
- Senate Joint Resolution 16 and HJR 137 are other resolutions introduced that would both authorise betting and more broadly expand gaming.
- Although the Greg Abbott (Governor of Texas) has publicly stated he supports legalising sports betting, major legislative roadblocks remain—particularly in the Texas Senate and due to the state’s constitutional requirements for gambling expansion.
Because Texas meets in regular session only every two years (odd-numbered years) and any constitutional amendment must pass two-thirds in both chambers and then a public vote, many observers believe 2027 or later is the earliest likely date for full legalisation.
What This Means for Texans & Visitors
If you are in Texas and want to legally place bets on sports, you should know the following:
- You cannot legally use mainstream sportsbook apps (such as those licensed in other states) for real-money sports betting while physically present in Texas.
- If you travel to a neighbouring state where sports betting is legal, you may be able to bet there—but once you return to Texas, your ability to continue wagering may be restricted. Some Texans opt to travel out of state for sports wagering.
- If you participate in daily fantasy sports or licensed horse-race wagering, those often remain legal—but they are not the same as conventional sports betting.
- Using offshore or unlicensed sportsbooks poses risks: lack of consumer protections, potential legal uncertainties, and no guarantee of recourse if issues arise.
Looking Ahead
As of 2025, sports betting is not legal in Texas, whether online or in-person, in the sense of a standard sportsbook. Legal change is likely necessary via a constitutional amendment plus enabling legislation—and those hurdles are substantial in Texas. Texans desiring to bet on sports must either use permitted alternatives (DFS, horse racing), travel to legal-betting states, or wait for Texas law to change.
If legalisation does happen, it could include new regulatory frameworks, licensing of operators, taxes on betting revenue, and consumer-protection measures—but nothing has yet been enacted.
