Online Casinos in Texas

The 2nd largest and the 2nd most populous U.S. state, Texas, severely restricts gambling within its borders. The very few legal options include the Texas Lottery, pari-mutuel betting on greyhound and horse racing, and charitable games – raffles, bingo, and pull-tabs. However, there’s still some leeway for those willing to indulge in games of chance.

First of all, there are three federally recognized Native American tribes in Texas – the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, the Tigua tribe of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe – each of which run a full-fledged tribal casino. Secondly, there are casino cruises – one-day ‘cruises to nowhere’ that take passengers to international waters where the in-state gambling laws are no longer in power.

Last but not least, online gambling is not explicitly prohibited in Texas. How come? Read on, and you will find out how to take advantage of the loophole in gambling legislation of the Lone Star State.

Laws Affecting Online Gambling in Texas

To anyone familiar with the Texas gambling legislation, it goes without saying that it’s quite complicated and ambiguous. Texas does not have a state gaming commission, and the gambling laws of the state are determined by several separate provisions:

• Texas Constitution (Article 3, Section 47).
• Texas Penal Code (Chapter 47).
• Texas Occupations Code (Chapter 2001).
• Federal Law (Chapter 53, Subchapter IV in Title 31).

However, if you were to peruse the respective chapters, you would find out that online gambling isn’t mentioned there at all, which is why you are free to interpret the law the way you want. Therefore, answering the popular question, ‘is online gambling legal in Texas,’ we can only say that, since Texas online gambling laws do not exist, you are free to play at offshore casinos catering to players from the Lone Star State.

At the same time, considering the fact that the interpretation of the legislation is a subjective matter, it would be wise to use additional precautionary measures, such as anonymous banking methods and a reliable VPN network.

Sports Betting in Texas

Land-based sports betting is forbidden in Texas, but that cannot be said about its online counterpart. In fact, both online bettors and online gambling fans are taking advantage of one and the same loophole in the Texas legislation: the absence of an explicit prohibition on these types of activity. You can benefit from it as well – just sign up for one of the credible casinos/bookies represented on our website and play without any restrictions.

In addition to traditional sports betting, there are DFS games, though the legal status of the latter is questionable unless you are playing DFS for free, which is allowed. The legal opinion on DFS largely depends on whom you ask for clarification. Any state lawyer will likely claim DFS to be illegal, whereas any lawyer representing a DFS website will claim the opposite. But more important is that so far there haven’t been any attempts from the Texas authorities to take action against DFS players.

There’s a tiny glimpse of hope that land-based sports betting will also appear in Texas in the future. For the time being, the two sports betting bills, HB1275 and HJR61, are considered by the Texas House of Representatives. The bills propose to legalize sports betting in the state and also contain regulations on fees, taxes, permits, and criminal offenses. However, as history shows, there’s a very small chance for such bills to pass.

Interesting Facts about Online Gambling in Texas

There are only so many ways to enjoy gambling in Texas, but they do exist even despite the strict local gambling laws (some of them are legal and some of them are not):

• Tribal casinos and cruise casinos. If you want to mess with the Texas laws, you can navigate to the reservation lands to one of three tribal casinos (the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, the Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso, and Naskila Gaming in Livingston) or board one of the cruise-to-nowhere gambling ships docking in the Texas ports (for example, Jacks or Better or Carnival Valor cruise ships, both sail from Galveston).
• Eight-liners. Eight-liners resemble slots and are illegal, but even the ongoing Operation Bishop can’t stop Texans from playing them. Not the recommended option to choose, though.
• Poker. About 30 private poker clubs are still functioning in Texas, but the legal status is constantly disputed and may change anytime.

On that note, Texas online gambling remains one of the safest ways to get to your favorite game, at least from the player’s perspective. Running an online casino is much more dangerous.

Getting Help for Problem Gambling in Texas

The Texas Lottery supports Texas education, Texas Veterans, and other state programs, but it does not allocate funds to provide problem gambling services.

There are nationwide resources to deal with the issue (you can get help there):

• National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-522-4700, chat: ncpgambling.org/chat.
• Gamblers Anonymous, an experience-sharing fellowship fighting gambling addiction and gambling-related problems.
• Gam-Anon, a self-help organization for compulsive gamblers.
• GamTalk, an online support forum.

The best help is, though, your consciousness when dealing with the US gambling sites, and awareness of the possible unfavorable consequences of excessive gambling.

If you prefer online gambling in Texas, feel free to skip this paragraph since it’s exclusively for those willing to get their hands on the best offline games in the Lone Star State.

There are no legal land-based casinos in Texas except for the casinos run by the three federally recognized Native American tribes. Each of them (the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, the Tigua tribe of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe) runs its own casino, and there are at least two cruise ships that you can board in Texas (Carnival Valor and Jacks or Better).

Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel

The proud of the Traditional Tribe of Texas, Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel works round-the-clock to provide more than 3,300 slots, live bingo games, and poker games to its numerous visitors. Whether you are planning to combine pleasure with business or just relax in one of the 249 well-appointed suites, you’ll get the best service at this chic casino.

• Slots. More than three thousand slots, including single-reel machines (remember those one-armed bandits that made the world go round decades ago?) and advanced video slots, leave you no choice but to plunge into gambling without thinking. The wide range of denominators starting with bets as small as one cent and going up to ten dollars allows you to play comfortably regardless of the size of your pocket.
• Poker. Limit Texas Hold’em, No-Limit Texas Hold’em, and Bad Beat Jackpot – choose the poker game to excel and enjoy its thrill seven days a week in the private poker room.
• Bingo. Whenever you feel lucky, don’t forget to challenge your fortune at the best live bingo in Texas! The payouts are bigger than ever, and the never-ending promotions are too tempting to stay aside.

Naskila Entertainment

Run by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, Naskila Entertainment is located in the oldest reservation of in the state and employs more than 800 electronic games. As they put it themselves, they unite the ‘light-flashingest, bell-ringingest, funniest games around with Texas-sized payouts.’

You will find nothing but slots here, but they are unique and spectacular. The latest addition, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, takes you on a thrilling underwater adventure to explore unconquered underwater expanses that look just brilliant on a 55-inch screen. Shellfish, sharks, and other marine inhabitants trigger prizes, perks, and re-spins leading to five different bonus rounds. Watch the game demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TovGSyteXw

The other games – Moby Dick, Myths & Legends, Jackpot Inferno, Aces & Hogs, Double Jackpot Gems, Pac-Man, and other famous titles – are no less exciting, especially if seasoned with one of the ongoing promotions.

Carnival Valor Cruise Ship

The most exotic and at the same time romantic way to gamble is cruise ships. The Carnival Valor Cruise Ship is a huge gambling city with 54 suites, 521 balcony rooms, 330 rooms with ocean view, 587 interior rooms, a dining steakhouse, pools, and of course, an unparalleled Shogun Casino Club. The ship can accommodate up to 2,980 guests at a time. The ship map is available by the link.

The Shogun Club

That’s where the extravaganza starts. Slots, roulette, blackjack, craps, Texas Hold’em, and bingo, as well as progressive jackpot games, generate gigantic payouts up to millions of dollars. To boost your winning odds, consider joining the Carnival Players Club that grants you points for every dollar spent. Accumulate 1,000 points and exchange them for $10 – as simple as that!

When it comes to online gambling in Texas and from Texas, the world is your oyster. You can select any of the offshore casinos accepting Texans, but we would recommend you to deal with trustworthy platforms only – for example, the ones from our list of verified Texas casinos.

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