Can You Bet On Sports Online In Texas
Texans love their sports, so it only makes sense that Texashas joined more than half the country in introducing sports betting legislation.
Rep. Eddie Lucio III filed H 1275 to authorize sports betting operations, including mobile and online wagering, in the state.
Right now, there are no legal ways to bet on sports in Texas. There are a number of websites and apps that say they can accept bets from anywhere in the United States. Since there are no federally-regulated sports betting apps it’s easy to identify these websites as offshore unregulated operators. Yes, bettors in Texas can place bets online at Bovada Sportsbook without violating any domestic gambling laws. Bovada operates legally within the industry under the credentials of its parent company, Bodog. There are no state or federal laws that prohibit Texans from placing bets at Bovada. There is no federal law against placing a wager online. So, you can legally place a bet online. However, a wager must not be placed on a site located in the United States. There is a small chance players might run afoul of state law, but there is little chance of prosecution. The only case cited where a person got into trouble with a state was. A Maine online sports betting bill seemed like a sure bet until Gov. Janet Mills vetoed what would have been the most competitive market in New England. Mills was “unconvinced at this time” that the state’s residents wanted expanded gambling, and thought the proposal lacked protections for problem gambling. Live betting has become a popular form of sports betting because it allows bettors the chance to watch a game or race before placing a wager. In a sense, it’s an opportunity to place a more educated and informed sports bet. Our list of NASCAR betting sites offers live NASCAR betting so that you can get a feel.
The bill would require a referendum amending the state constitution to be approved by voters in November. To that end, Lucio also introduced House Joint Resolution 61 seeking to amend the constitution so that “the legislature by law may authorize and regulate the placing of wagers on professional and collegiate sports.”
The resolution must be adopted by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate in order to be placed on the ballot.
As one of the most sports-centric states in the country, Texas would be the second-largest sports betting market in the US, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming forecasts.
Details of the Texas sports betting bill
Lucio introduced comprehensive legislation with the following provisions:
- Five total permits available, with two skins allowed per permit.
- An allowance for mobile and online wagering.
- Operators would be required to collect a 6.25 percent tax on handle, or total amount wagered. This tax would make it almost impossible to operate sports betting in the state, as it could very well outpace revenue generated.
- Addressing a concern of the Wire Act, the bill addresses the intermediate routing of electronic data, specifying that sports betting transmissions must initiate and be received within the state.
Probably no sports betting in Texas soon
Bet On Sports Online Usa
Any expansion of gambling has generated intense opposition in the Republican-controlled legislature for years. Casino and Texas fantasy sports bills have a long history of going nowhere. State law does allow for bingo, lottery and horse betting. There have also been bills in the past, even before the fall of the sports betting ban.
This bill is being sponsored by a Democrat, which is reason enough that it won’t pass. Gov. Greg Abbott, another Republican, also is on record opposing any expansion of legal gambling in Texas.
In 2015, Abbott asked state lottery officials to stop collecting information about potential sports betting games, saying that “state laws on gaming are to be viewed strictly as prohibitive to any expansion of gambling.”
In other words, the Dallas Mavericks have a better chance of trading for Kristaps Porzingis than this bill has of … wait, bad example. The Houston Texans will win their first Super Bowl before a sports betting bill sponsored by a Democrat passes in Texas.
Is It Legal To Bet On Sports Online In Texas
Only New Mexico offers sports betting of Texas’ neighboring states.