Texas Online Casinos & Gambling Laws

Jonn Seo | March 6, 2024 | Updated on: January 30th, 2024

Texas casinos and gambling are not that common within its borders. Every state that limits Texas offers casinos.

Oklahoma masses casinos along its border with Texas. Lake Charles is east of the Texas state line. Some casinos are across the New Mexico border.

Texas only has one tribal casino located near the Mexico border on the side of the Kickapoo reservation. The available games are slots, bingo, video poker, electronic table games, and live poker. Legalized gambling allowed in Texas includes the state lottery, horse racing, charitable bingo as well as live and off-track gambling.

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Texas Casinos & Gambling

• Year Texas Gambling has regulated: Bingo (1982), Lottery (1991), Horse racing (1987), and Kickapoo Casino (1996)
• Estimated Tax Revenue: $1.2 billion
• Estimated Gambling Revenue: $4.6 billion
• Texas Gambling Age: 18 for lottery and bingo, and21 for racing

Online Gambling Allowed in Texas

The only type of online gambling legal in Texas is off-track betting on horses.  Daily fantasy sports sites do accept Texans.

Live Gambling in Texas

There are a few types of live gambling allowed in Texas. Slots, poker, video electronic table games, and live poker are spread. Texas has around 3,300 machines at the Lucky Eagle Casino on that reservation. There are no Texas casinos that are currently operating within the state borders.

The Texas Lottery sells two kinds of lottery tickets. One is a prompt game that includes scratch-off tickets. The other one is lotto drawings. Texas is also included in the multi-state drawings such as the Powerball and Mega Millions.

Charities can spread bingo only for fundraising purposes. These are popular compared to other states due to the absence of other Texas casinos and more gambling options.

Popular games

• Slots
• Blackjack
• Poker
• Craps/Roulette
• Horses
• Lottery

Texas Gambling Laws

Texas gambling laws are strict. The only types of legalized Texas betting are ones exactly approved by voters in a legitimate referendum. The only kind of betting voters have stated are charitable horse racing, bingo, and a state lottery. Table games are not permitted.

Although the state of Texas prohibits most kinds of betting, its penalties are lenient compared to the other states.

A bet is well-defined as “a contract to win or lose something of value only or artily by chance”. Daily fantasy sports are unlawful in Texas, likely because of the given definition. The minimum Texas betting age for lottery players is 18. Off-track and Live racing betting has a minimum Texas gambling age of 21.

Texas Gambling History

Horse racing dates back to before Texas was turned into a state. Old-time bookmakers then took bets without any mistake. The business had its issues with legality before the industry died in the middle of the 20th Century.

It repaid in a regulated state in 1987 to keep gamblers from traveling to the neighboring states for action.  Racing was not the first time betting was legalized in Texas. Voters did approve charitable gambling in 1980. The first bingo license was then issued in 1982.

Texas Casinos & Gambling FAQ