A Texas Sen. Carol Alvardo has been pushing for casino gambling for more than a decade now. However, with every proactive step taken, opponents to casinos and sports betting seem to push gambling two steps back. With that said, the possibility of legalizing casinos in Texas has been tabled until 2023.
Generally, gambling is outlawed for the most part in the state of Texas. Of course, there are concessions such as pari-mutuel wagering at the racetracks, social casino gaming, and bingo. If interested, you can check the map of current casinos in Texas by Casinos.us.
Still, when it comes to legal online gambling and sports betting, Texans are limited to offshore gambling sites. While having an alternative is better than not having one, this is certainly an inconvenience that Texans hope will be gone sooner rather than later.
One of the unavoidable facts of life is that every person has entitled an onion about gambling. Whether you are for or against it, the reality is that there are certain benefits that come with it, some of the main ones being:
- It can boost the economy
- It provides avenues to tackle addiction
- It promotes fair and responsible gaming
In 2021, there were five pieces of legislation that lawmakers attempted to pass, all of which failed to gain the support required to pass into law. Given the fact that the Texas Legislature meets in odd years, the soonest we can expect something to happen and move forward is in 2023.
At last, with all the available information at this moment, the question that arises is, will Texas ever see legal online gambling? Sports betting is most likely to become legal, but as for online casinos, only time will tell.
How Would Sports Betting in Texas Look Like?
Generally, it’s quite difficult to estimate the precise amount of sports betting revenue that Texas could generate if it legalizes it. However, it would certainly be massive. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance that the state of Texas would be the biggest sports betting market in the US.
If there’s one thing that can be said with certainty, it’s that Texas is a big sports state. San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Dallas all have major league teams. Not to mention that two colleges in Texas boast the top ten biggest stadiums on the planet by capacity.
Furthermore, Texas is the second-biggest state in the US after California, with almost 30 million residents. If you consider that New Jersey is the current biggest sports betting market, where online sportsbooks handle close to a billion dollars monthly., it is estimated that Texas online sports betting apps would handle at least a billion dollars or more per month.
Vast Options Available for Wagering on Texas Teams
The reality is that there are a lot of Texas-based teams where sports play such an important role in communities. For instance, when betting football, the options available for you are the Dallas Cowboys, 39 College Football teams, and Houston Texans of the NFL.
As for basketball, Texas hosts three NBA teams: Houston Rockets, The Dallas Mavericks, and the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA schedule is pretty dense, so you will have plenty of Texas basketball betting options throughout the NBA season.
If you are a big fan of baseball, you should know that you have the option to bet on the Houston Astros or the Texas Rangers during the summer and spring months. Unfortunately, Texans have only one professional hockey team to bet on – The Dallas Stars. To state the obvious, football and basketball are the most popular sports people wager on.
How to Place a Bet on Sports in Texas?
Although physically visiting a venue in Texas to place a wager on sports is not legal right now, and won’t be for quite some time, in this state, there are options for Texans who want to get in on the action. Betting at an offshore online sportsbook is an excellent option for betting in Texas without even leaving the comfort of your own home.
If you decide to go with an alternative and place a bet on an offshore casino site, make sure that the site of your choice is licensed, safe, secure and offers great customer support, bonuses, and banking options.
On the contrary, if you do not take your online safety seriously, you can eventually get in lots of trouble. Therefore, it is highly recommended to be careful when gambling on offshore casino sites.
–In Collaboration with Filip Media d.o.o.
