Texarkana residents on the Arkansas side of the state line got something new last month. DraftKings and FanDuel both launched full sports betting operations in Arkansas on March 20, following licenses granted by the Arkansas Racing Commission on February 26. Anyone on the Arkansas side can now open either app and bet on sports legally from their phone.
For the Texas side, nothing changed. Online sports betting and real-money casino gaming remain illegal under state law, same as they have been for 169 years. The two sides of the same city now have meaningfully different access to digital gambling, which is a situation Texarkana residents are more familiar with than most.
What Texas Players Have Been Using Instead
While Arkansas and a handful of other states have been building out regulated sports betting, Texans have been finding their own way to play online casino-style games legally. The answer is sweepstakes casinos.
The model works differently from a traditional gambling site. Players receive two types of virtual currency: Gold Coins for free play and Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed for real cash prizes. No purchase is ever required to participate. That distinction is what keeps them on the right side of Texas law, which bans real-money wagering but has no specific prohibition on sweepstakes-style gaming under federal promotion law.
Major platforms including Stake.us, Chumba Casino, Pulsz, and McLuck all operate legally in Texas. They offer slots, table games, and in some cases live dealer options that look and feel very similar to a real-money casino. The difference is in the currency system, not the games themselves.
For anyone wanting to understand which platforms are currently worth using and how they compare, a detailed guide to sweepstakes casinos in the United States covers the major operators, bonus structures, redemption processes, and what to watch for in the terms before signing up. Given how fast the space is moving, that kind of comparison is genuinely useful before committing to any one platform.
The Texarkana Situation Is Not Unique, But It Is Sharp
Twin cities on state lines have always dealt with the patchwork nature of American gambling law. Residents of border communities learn early that a short drive can change what is legal. Texarkana has been living that reality with lottery tickets for years, with casino trips to Oklahoma or Louisiana for longer, and now with sports betting apps.
The Arkansas launch of DraftKings and FanDuel is genuinely significant for the state. Arkansas had legal sports betting since 2019 but only through casino retail locations and a limited online presence. The arrival of the two biggest names in the industry represents the same shift that happened in states like New Jersey and Colorado when major operators entered: broader access, more competition, and much more advertising.
For Texarkana Arkansas residents specifically, that means the same apps that dominate sports betting conversation nationally are now locally available. Fantasy sports and DFS contests through DraftKings were already accessible in Texas, but the full sportsbook experience was not.
How the Sweepstakes Model Has Grown
The sweepstakes casino category has expanded significantly over the past three years, largely driven by states with restrictive gambling laws where players have been looking for legal alternatives. Texas, with its large population and firm stance against online gambling, has become one of the most active sweepstakes markets in the country.
According to coverage on the Arkansas sports betting launch, FanDuel and DraftKings are building on momentum from states that have already normalised mobile betting, which tends to accelerate demand in adjacent states still waiting for legalization.
California banned sweepstakes casinos outright at the start of 2026, removing one of the largest markets overnight. Texas remains open, and operators have taken notice. New platforms have launched specifically with Texas players in mind, some carrying Western themes and names that leave no doubt about who the target audience is.
What Comes Next for Texarkana
The gap between the two sides of the city is unlikely to close soon. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made his position on Texas gambling expansion clear repeatedly, and no serious legislative push is expected to succeed in the near term. That means the Texas side of Texarkana will keep watching the Arkansas side gain access to new options while sweepstakes platforms remain the primary legal alternative.