Gambling laws in the state are extremely strict. Under the terms of the legislation, casino gambling including slots, blackjack, and roulette and sports betting are considered illegal in Texas.

There are a couple of exceptions to the rule; horse and greyhound racing are permitted, as are bingo and the Texas Lottery. A gray area in the law has seen several poker rooms pop-up in the state but the legality of these establishments remains unclear.

As mentioned, gambling options in Texas, whether it be in-person or online, are severely limited. Aside from two tribal casinos - the Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass and Naskila Entertainment Center in Livingston, there are no legal gambling establishments and no legal gambling sites for patrons to visit.

This remains the case for 2020 and will be the situation for the foreseeable. But if you do have the itch to gamble on sports, you can jump in your car and legally cross the border into states with legal sports betting: New Mexico or Arkansas.

New Mexico has sports betting operating in four tribal casinos, even though sports betting hasn’t yet been legalized in the state itself. Arkansas went live with sports betting in July 2019. As it stands there are retail sportsbooks at two casinos and one racino in AR. Neither state offers mobile wagering which means all betting must take place on-site.

Don’t bet on it in the short to medium term. A lot needs to happen for the situation to change.

A bill, yet to be acted on, that would authorize mobile and online sports betting was filed in 2019. The legislation will require a referendum that will amend the state constitution and will then need to be approved by state voters if the bill is included on the November ballot. Before this, the bill must be approved by the House and Senate.

This said, if Texas residents are able to access legal sports betting markets closer to home - in Oklahoma and/or Louisiana, two states moving along with planned legal markets - the pressure on state legislators to keep revenues in-state will build.

Whether this will be the tip of the iceberg is another question seen as the state is already losing out on potential tax revenue to illegal sports betting.

But, at least, there is a small glimmer of hope in The Lone Star State.

There would be no shortage of sports teams to wager on in Texas. In total the state is the home of ten professional teams across the biggest and best US sports.

It's just unfortunate sports gambling in Texas is forbidden as it stands.

NFL

• Dallas Cowboys
• Houston Texans

NBA

• San Antonio Spurs
• Houston Rockets
• Dallas Mavericks

MLB

• Houston Astros
• Texas Rangers

NHL

• Dallas Stars

MLS

• Houston Dynamo
• FC Dallas