Texan Sports Betting

In February 2019, Representative Eddie Lucio III introduced a bill that would allow sports betting operators in Texas to pay a $250,000 fee to obtain a permit. The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation would oversee sports betting, and the bill would mandate a 6.25% tax be "imposed on each bet placed by a sports bettor."

In 2021, there were multiple sports wagering bills, but none of them came to fruition. As a result of the Texas Legislature only meeting every two years, the next time sports betting can come up for a possible vote is in 2023.

In 2023, a bill aiming to legalize Texas sports betting apps successfully passed the full House but ultimately stalled in the Senate. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick declined to advance any bill to the Senate floor due to insufficient Republican support. Notably, legalizing sports betting in Texas necessitates a constitutional amendment, mandating a two-thirds majority vote and a ballot vote the following November after passage.

In 2025, the Texas Legislature considered multiple sports betting bills, including HJR 134 (House) and its companion SJR 65 (Senate), which proposed a constitutional amendment to legalize retail and online sports wagering. A companion SJR 82 paired sports wagering with casino gaming authorization. All bills were referred to their respective State Affairs committees in March 2025 but received no further hearings or votes. A group of 12 Republican House freshmen, joined by three returning members who had previously supported sports betting, sent a letter to the House State Affairs Committee in March 2025 declaring the legislation "dead on arrival," effectively ending any realistic path to a floor vote.

The Texas Legislature adjourned on June 2, 2025, with all pending gaming bills officially dead. Because the Texas Legislature meets in regular session only in odd-numbered years for a maximum of 140 days, the earliest any sports betting legislation can be reconsidered is January 2027; the earliest regulated sportsbooks could launch under any scenario would be 2028.