Texas Gambling
There is little in the way of gambling in Texas. Players looking for casino action must go to a bordering state in most cases. New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana all have legalized casinos. There are a few limited number of gaming options for Texans. There is even one reservation casino near the Mexico border.
Texas Online Gambling
There is just one form of legalized online gambling in Texas. It is off-track betting. TVG and TwinSpires are among the sites that accept action from Texans. Gaming is available online and on mobile apps. The state’s racetracks do not offer this service.
In January 2016, Attorney General Ken Paxton declared daily fantasy sports illegal in the state of Texas. Of the two market leaders, Fanduel has withdrawn while DraftKings has filed litigation against the state.
A bill known as the Poker Gaming Act of 2013 sought to legalize online poker in the state. The bill did not receive a committee hearing. There are poker and casino sites that accept Texans. None of these are licensed to operate in the state.
Texas Greyhound Racing
There were once three greyhound tracks in Texas. Gulf Greyhound Park was the last one in operation. It stopped live races in 2015, much to the delight of animal rights activists that were pushing the state to outlaw the activity. While these three tracks no longer have live greyhound racing, simulcast betting is available at these venues. These off-track betting parlors were also affected by the temporary shuttering of the state’s racing commission in 2015.
Texas Casino
There is just one casino in Texas. It is called Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino. It is located in Eagle Pass. Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino offers slots, video poker, live poker and bingo.
There were two other reservation casinos that operated until 2002. Speaking Rock and Alabama-Coushatta were these establishments. The casinos were not on federally recognized tribal land. A court ruled in 2002 that these tribes were in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. They closed after this opinion was released. These two casinos offered off-track betting and bingo, but did not have slots, video poker and live poker like Kickapoo Lucky Eagle does.
Texas Horse Racing
Horseracing in Texas is alive and well. This is partly due to the lack of other forms of gambling in the state. There are six tracks that offer live horse racing in Texas. They are Retama Park, Gillespie County Fairgrounds, Sam Houston Race Park, Manor Downs, Saddle Brook Park and Lone Star Park. All six tracks offer off-track betting on horses and greyhounds.
Texas Bingo
Charities are permitted to offer bingo in Texas. This also applies to the state’s reservations.
Online gaming works — it’s been licensed in Europe for years, and in the US it’s already licensed in New Jersey, Nevada, and in Delaware. If you are a resident of the fine state of Texas, don’t just sit there — make your voice heard.