Not only is it doubtful that the police would have any interest in enforcing this law against players, but there’s also the question: how would they know? Pragmatically speaking, we can find no instance of any player facing criminal charges for merely playing at an online casino. The result of illegal gambling is a Class C Misdemeanor. Statute 47.01(1) makes it illegal to participate in any game solely or partially decided by chance other than any that may be state-sanctioned. In terms of online gambling, Texas statute makes it illegal to the extent that it is a form of gambling not sanctioned by the state. In the meantime, there are a number of offshore online casinos that have offered their services in Texas for years, if not over a decade, so do check out some of our top recommendations above! It is our opinion that both land casino or mobile sports betting bills would be highly unlikely to pass, especially the latter given how fanatic any true Texan is about his or her sports teams, so we can’t envision the state ever giving the people a chance. Of course, we don’t suspect that the Texas government will ever allow that to happen, as big on personal freedom as those hypocrites would otherwise claim to be. If either the mobile sports betting bill, land casino bill, or both, were to pass, then the issue would go directly to the voters in November of 2023. Separately, there is a bill that would authorize land-based Commercial Casinos in the state.

Despite casino-lobbying groups pouring millions of dollars into policymakers’ pockets in recent years, state lawmakers failed to move forward on legalizing either during the 2021 legislative session. “Given that Texans are already participating in mobile sports betting, legalization would be a win for all involved.”īoth online sports betting and casinos are illegal in Texas - except for three casinos operating legally on Native American territory in the Lone Star State due to federal law. “The legalization of mobile sports betting in Texas would mean implementing smart and efficient oversight to preserve the integrity of sporting events, empower Texans to safely participate in mobile sports betting, and fight illegal gambling,” Perry said in a press release.

It would have to be mobile, and almost certainly would have to go through the Texas Lottery, as the state does not have any Commercial land casinos. Update: According to KXAN, one of the bills that might receive a vote in the Legislature during the 2023 Legislative year concerns the authorization of mobile sports betting to operate in the state.

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