July 1, 2021: Texas lawmakers announce they won’t take up another sports betting bill discussion until 2023.įebruary 2021: The Sports Betting Alliance, which includes professional sports teams, betting operators, and fans, mobilizes to back the prospect of legal Texas sports betting. July 13, 2022: Famed bettor Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale predicts legal Texas sports betting will arrive by 2027. 8, 2022: Governor Greg Abbott is reelected and notes that he would not oppose the legalization of sports betting in Texas. 15, 2023: Jerry Jones, co-owner of the Dallas Cowboys, voices his support for legalizing sports betting in the state. March 28, 2023: Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick states there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass a legalized sports betting bill. The legislation now moves on to the Senate for further evaluation.Īpril 18, 2023: House Bill 1942, which would legalize online sports betting in Texas, is sent to the House Committee on Calendars. May 11, 2023: The House passes HJR 102, a companion bill to HB 1942 that would forward the decision of whether or not to legalize sports betting to state voters. Texas sports betting key developments and updates These attempts were blocked, of course, but they illustrate the Lone Star State’s overwhelming interest in legalized sports betting. Were they to pass the House, they would face the Senate and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who has not been a strong proponent of legalizing sports betting in the Lone Star State.Īccording to the Texas Sports Betting Alliance, nearly 75,000 Texans tried to wager on college basketball from their phones during March Madness alone. Positive momentum aside, the bills still have a long road ahead. No other sports betting legislation has come as far since PASPA was struck down in 2018.

Recently, two pairs of bills - HB 2843 and HJR 155, and HB 1942 and HJR 102 - passed through the House’s state affairs committee. However, hopes for legal sports wagering in Texas are higher than ever.

You can wager on horse and greyhound racing legitimately, but you can’t use a traditional sportsbook - online or in person - just yet. No, sports betting in Texas is not legal.

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