Online Texas Casinos

With 27.5 million residents, Texas is America’s second most-populous state.
This means that the Lone Star State could make a fortune through gambling taxes.

Texas will bust an online gambling operation – they just haven’t shown the willingness to. Available Casino Games in Texas. In Texas there are several options for users to play online casino. Firstly, although the law of the Lone Star State prohibits local vendors establishing their own online platforms – residents across the entire country can access “off-shore” casinos. These are particularly handy if you live a long way from the tribal lands where fully licensed brick. Play Texas holdem online with Top Internet Casinos: With these great casinos, you can play Texas holdem poker at any time. No matter what type of casino games you prefer slots, table games, Hold’em, slots or live dealers, the top gaming sites have everything a gamer could wish for and payouts that may just rival the real thing! Online casinos in Texas are not regulated, and it is currently illegal to operate a real money site in the state. Casino sites offering gambling games like slots, poker, and blackjack are prohibited, but the law does not explicitly forbid Texas players signing up to licensed off-shore sites.

But Texas doesn’t take advantage of this opportunity because they have
limited casino gaming and live poker.

Not surprisingly, Texas doesn’t have legal internet gambling either.

But offshore gaming sites still target their large market.

Online Gambling and Texas Law

Texas doesn’t address internet gambling in their criminal code. Furthermore,
they don’t mention the words “computer,” “internet,” or “online.”

But this doesn’t mean that internet gambling is legal here. In fact, the
state’s broad laws make it illegal for offshore gaming sites to operate within
their borders.

We’ll cover this and other important aspects of the state’s online gaming
stance below.

Is Online Gambling Legal in Texas?

Let’s begin with code 47.03 of the criminal code, which states that a person
“commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly does any of the following
acts:”

• Earns profits from a “gambling place.”
• Bookmaking.
• Earns profits from being “a custodian of anything of value bet or offered to be bet.”
• “Sells chances” on any game, contest, or political nomination.
• Sets up and runs a lottery.

The first-time charge for any of these offenses is a Class A misdemeanor,
which is a light punishment for illegal gambling operators.

Nevertheless, it’s clear that Texas doesn’t allow any form of gaming beyond
what they’ve specifically approved. Internet gambling doesn’t fall under this
umbrella, therefore it’s technically illegal in the state.

Why do Gambling Sites Operate in Texas?

As just discussed, offshore gaming sites are not considered legal
in the Lone Star State, but they continue to
operate here for three main reasons:

1. Texas doesn’t have a regulated iGaming market.
2. Texas hasn’t taken legal action against offshore sites.
3. The Texas Constitution doesn’t specifically make internet gambling illegal.

These three conditions are present in most states, which is why most of them
are served by offshore operators.

Even Louisiana, South Dakota, and Washington – which explicitly outlaw online
gambling – have problems with offshore sites.

This means that the threat of legal action is the biggest condition to
whether internet gambling sites serve a state.

Texas has never pursued legal action against offshore sites, and the status
quo is likely to continue for a while.

Will I be Arrested for Gambling Online in Texas?

It’s possible, but there’s almost no chance that you’ll be arrested.

Code 47.02 states a gambling offense occurs if somebody:

1. “… makes a bet on the
   partial or final result of a game or contest or on the performance of a
   participant in a game or contest.”
2. “… makes a bet on the
   result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or on the degree of
   success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate.”
3. “… plays and bets for
   money or other thing of value at any game played with cards, dice, balls, or any
   other gambling device.”

Anybody who commits one of these offenses is subject to a Class C
misdemeanor. Exceptions are made for those who engage in social gambling and /
or are involved in a skill-based contest where everybody has the same chance.

Perhaps an argument can be made that online poker falls into this category
because it’s skill-based. But by and large, internet gambling is illegal in the
Lone Star State.

Nevertheless, they haven’t arrested anybody for playing online casino games
or placing sports bets. This gives us confidence that you won’t be arrested for
the activity.

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a 2011 opinion that the
Wire Act – a
federal ban on certain types of gambling – only applies to sports betting.

Are Offshore Gaming Sites Safe?

This depends upon the specific site you’re dealing with. But for the most
part, offshore gambling sites are safe.

The risk comes when considering that offshore sites are based outside of the
U.S. This means that they’re neither licensed in America nor directly subject to
U.S. laws.

The matter can be scarier given that a small percentage of nefarious
operators have closed without repaying player deposits..

But here’s the thing: most offshore operators realize the value in repeat
business.

If they don’t have good customer service or process cashouts in a timely
manner, they’ll receive less repeat players. Long story short, you can have
confidence that most internet gambling sites will serve you well.

How Do I Pick the Best Gaming Sites?

To choose safe gaming sites, you should read reviews of any prospective site.
The more reviews you read, the better you’ll be able to make an informed
deposit.

Another thing you should do is visit the site directly and look for certain
aspects. Reviews are great, but it’s even more effective if you do research
yourself.

Here are some key points that you want to look for:

• Longevity and Reputation –

  The longer a site is in business, the more likely it is that they properly serve
  players. And when you combine this with a good reputation (via reviews), you
  have a winning site.

• Game Variety –

  Everybody
  loves a nice variety of games. This is why you want to visit a site and see if
  they have the games / sports lines you want.

• Banking Options –

  If real
  money iGaming is your goal, then you need to make sure that there’s a deposit
  option you can use.

• Customer Support –

  This is
  a key point covered in reviews. You can also visit directly and live-chat with
  customer service to see how friendly and knowledgeable they are.

• Bonuses & Promotions –

  It’s
  always exciting to earn cash on the side of your play. Check out the welcome
  bonus and promotions at any site you’re interested in.

• Bonus Terms & Conditions –

  Click the terms and conditions underneath the welcome bonus to see what wagering
  requirements must be met. The industry standard for online casino bonuses is 40x
  rollover (or 20x bonus + deposit).

Also On This Page

More Gambling Laws in Texas

• Casino Games (Class II Legal)
• Sports Betting (Illegal)
• Poker (Legal)
• Racing Betting (Legal)
• Lottery (Legal)
• Bingo (Legal)
• Charitable Gambling (Legal)
• Social Gambling (Legal)

Casinos: Legal

Texas only has two casinos spread throughout its vast 269,596 square miles.
This includes the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino and Aransas Queen cruise ship.

The Kickapoo Lucky Eagle is located along the Mexican border and offers Class
II gaming. Class II machines are similar to regular slot machines, except that
results are determined by historic horse races or electronic bingo cards
(instead of random number generators).

The Aransas Queen is a huge yacht that began sailing out of Corpus Christi in
2015. They’re only allowed to offer gaming when in international waters.

It remains to be seen how successful the Aransas Queen will be. Texas has had
multiple gambling cruises that have failed over the years.

This includes the Le Mistral, the original gambling cruise ship that set sail
from Galveston in 1988; it went bankrupt in 1994.

Several other Texas gambling cruises have either gone bankrupt or moved to
different states seeking more profitability.

Charitable Gambling: Legal

Under the Charitable Raffle Enabling Act, Texas allows licensed charities to
offer bingo and raffles. Unfortunately, this means that casino nights and Texas
hold’em tournaments are out of the question.

Lottery: Legal

Legalized in 1992, the Texas Lottery sells a wide range of instant and
drawing games. Available games include: All or Nothing, Cash Five, Daily 4, Pick
3, Mega Millions, Powerball, Texas Triple Chance, and Texas Two Step.

Poker: Legal

The Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino has a small poker room. Other than this, the
only ways to play poker in Texas include offshore gaming sites and social games.

Racing: Legal

Texas is one of the few states that offers active horse and dog racing
tracks. They currently have four tracks operating in the state.

Social Gambling: Legal

Code 47.02 of the Texas criminal code includes exemptions for social gaming.
These include the following:

1 – “The actor engaged in gambling in a private place.”

2 – “No person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings.”

3 – “Except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the
chances of winning were the same for all participants.”

As long as the host isn’t profiting from your social gambling function
through a house edge, food, or drinks, the game should be fine. Also, make sure
that no illegal firearms or drugs are on the premises.

Gambling Venues in Texas

As discussed before, Texas only has two casinos – the Aransas Queen cruise and
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle.

Lucky Eagle is by far the largest of these casinos, sporting over 3,300 Class
II gaming machines. But it’s also in the remote Lucky Pass area on the Mexican
border, making it difficult for many Texans to visit.

Aransas Queen has over 200 gaming machines and some table games. This mega
yacht must reach international waters before gambling commences.

In addition to two casinos, Texas also offers Class II pull tab machines at
parlors in the Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio areas.

These are electronic pull tab machines that look and play like slot machines.
One stipulation to these games is that individual payouts can’t be any larger
than $5.

Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel

794 Lucky Eagle Drive

Eagle Pass, TX 78852

History of Gambling in Texas

Dating back to when U.S. settlers arrived in Mexican Texas, the territory was
filled with brothels, saloons, and gambling halls. This continued long after
Texas became a state in 1845.

Professional gamblers like “Doc” Holliday and “Lottie Deno” Thompkins roamed
the plains of Texas in the mid and late 1800s.

The Lone Star State finally began cracking down on vices in the early 1900s.
Most gambling halls were banned and closed by 1917.

Texas didn’t officially legalize any gambling activities until 1933, when
they approved pari-mutuel betting. Just four years later, the state voted to
shut down pari-mutuel wagering.

The see sawing continued in 1987, when Texas legalized pari-mutuel gambling
for good.

The state also has a strange history with tribal casinos. With help from the
federal government, they shut down the Tigua Tribe’s Speaking Rock casino in
2002.

But the Kickapoo Casino has been in operation ever since 1996 because they
offer Class II gaming. Governor George W. Bush questioned the validity of this
casino, but the Kickapoo won a pre-emptive lawsuit against the state.

Texas also legalized casino cruise ships in 1988, but ships were originally
forced to visit a foreign port of call (Mexican villages) before docking in
Texas. This only lasted a year before Galveston officials got the port of call
portion repealed.

Despite their limited gambling, Texas has had activity on the iGaming
legislative front.

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton has introduced federal online poker legislation twice.
Texas also had two other iGaming bills introduced in 2013, but none of these
efforts came to fruition.

Texas Gambling FAQs

With no specific laws addressing internet gambling and a host of available
offshore sites, Texas iGaming is confusing to many gamblers.

Here are some FAQs we’ve received on the Lone Star State that can help clear
up the matter.

Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in Texas?

According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, daily fantasy sports (DFS)
aren’t legal. Here’s an excerpt from his
January
2016 letter:

“Because the outcomes of games in daily fantasy sports leagues depends
partially on chance, an individual’s payment of a fee to participate in such
activities is a bet. Accordingly, a court would likely determine that
participation in daily fantasy sports is illegal gambling.”

DraftKings, the industry’s largest site, has refused to take this ruling
lying down. They launched a lawsuit against Paxton and continue to operate in
the Lone Star State; FanDuel, however, exited Texas.

State Rep. Richard Raymond introduced legislation that would’ve classified
DFS as a skill based activity, but House Bill 1457 failed to gain any serious
attention.

When Will Texas Legalize Online Gambling?

It could be a decade or more.

Texas isn’t receptive of new forms of gambling. The casinos and gaming
parlors they have skirt state laws by offering Class II machines that operate
through loopholes.

With no commercial casino industry to lobby for internet gambling, it seems
unlikely that the activity will be available any time soon.

Strangely enough, though, Texas has had federal legislative efforts come out
of their state.

U.S. Representative Joe Barton (R-Tex.) proposed the Online Poker Act of
2011, which would’ve legalized online poker on a federal level. But HR-2366
didn’t get any significant attention in Congress.

In 2013, Barton introduced another legislative effort called the Poker
Freedom Act. This also sought to regulate internet poker on a federal level,
while leaving online casino games up to individual states.

The same year saw former State Senator Leticia van de Putte introduce State
Bill No. 1103. This legislation would’ve allowed states to opt in to federally
legalized internet poker.

None of Texas’ iGaming bills have gotten very far. But they do show that
state politicians at least consider the matter.

Looking at Texas today, though, we don’t see them regulating online gaming
for another 10 years.

Why Doesn’t Texas Bust Internet Gambling Sites?

Texas will bust an online gambling operation – they just haven’t shown the
willingness to cross seas to do it.

In 2013, state police raided a
$5 billion online sports betting operation in the North Texas area.

The eighteen-member ring accepted both online and in-person bets, making $200
million in profits from 2007 to 2011.

The main reason why this group was busted is because they operated on US
soil.

It’s an entirely different ballgame to pursue offshore gaming sites operating
in countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, and Panama. The only state
that has successfully done this is New York, which was backed by the U.S.
Department of Justice.

Because of their size, Texas has the resources to pursue offshore gambling
sites. But like most other American states, they view other things as more
important than chasing gambling sites.

Can I Gamble on my Smartphone or Tablet in Texas?

Gambling on your smartphone isn’t technically legal. But we don’t see you
ever being arrested for it.

Code 47.01 (4) states the following about illegal gambling devices:

“…means any electronic, electromechanical, or mechanical contrivance not
excluded under Paragraph (B) that for a consideration affords the player an
opportunity to obtain anything of value, the award of which is determined solely
or partially by chance, even though accompanied by some skill, whether or not
the prize is automatically paid by the contrivance.”

This could include a smartphone or tablet if Texas felt like pursing mobile
gamblers. But they’ve never arrested anybody for internet gambling, and we don’t
see this changing anytime soon.

Additional Resources

Here’s information on Texas gaming agencies and where you can find the
state’s gambling laws.

This website features many laws related to Texas’ gambling industry.

This page covers multiple gambling-related FAQs with Texas State Attorney
General Ken Paxton.

This page offers a comprehensive look at laws for Texas bingo, general
gambling, lotteries, and racing.

The Texas Racing Commission website features information on the state’s dog
and horse racing industries.

The Future

Texas features most forms of gambling, although they’re very limited in the
casino, pari-mutuel, and poker categories.

The Lone Star State has been conservative on the gambling front ever since
the lawless 1800s. This means that they’re slow to adapt to new forms of gaming.

The same holds true for internet gambling because Texas hasn’t legalized
casino games, poker, or daily fantasy sports.

Surprisingly, Texas has had politicians try to legalize online poker on a
federal level. But these efforts have never earned a serious look.

Odds are that iGaming will never be legalized on a federal level until the
state has commercial casinos. This has been an absolute condition thus far in
regulated states like Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey.

Given that Texas has no immediate plans for casinos, this alone could take 5
to 10 years to happen. Then, we’re looking at a few more years until the Lone
Star State regulates internet gambling.

Until that happens, you’re free to enjoy offshore gaming sites, because Texas
ignores both operators and players.

Page Contents

The Texas gambling scene has flourished in recent years, in particular for online gambling. Texas now ranks as the third highest in the US for online players – just behind California and New York who are 1st and 2nd respectively.

Did you know that online gambling in Texas, on average, contributes to over $75 million per year?

Texas Offshore Casino Statistics

Texas is the 3rd most active state that participates in offshore online gambling at casinos as of 2020 with a gross win amount of $107.5m. Texas contributes to 6.5% of all offshore casino activity in the United States for 2020.

Click here to see a breakdown of all offshore gambling activity broken down by state. The following is a breakdown of all offshore casino gambling from Texas since 2003.

*Note: Data from 2020 are currently based on estimates.

Source – H2 Gambling Capital

Offshore gambling statistics for sports betting from Texas can be found here.

Top Texas Online Casinos

Due to the growing popularity of online gambling, we understand it can be confusing to pick the best TX online casino to play at. Our recommended Top Texas Online Casinos is compiled meticulously through playing at hundreds of online casinos, as well as collecting feedback from our readers. In this process, we formulated a simple, yet effective way of ranking TX online casinos.

There are many attributes that casinos can be judged against, but we found that most players looked for:

• A Wide Selection of Games
• Accessible and prompt Customer Support
• Great Bonuses for New and Regulars
• Safe and Secure – Payment and Player Information

Of course, some players will place more or less emphasis on different attributes, hence the list that we have created is a guide and players should research further if they are looking for something more specific.

Wide Selection of Games

One of the worst player experiences to have is to sign up to an online casino that is void of the games that players love and lack game selection variety. Yes, not only can it become boring, but some players simply give in and then play with reckless abandon to exhaust their deposit. It becomes a matter of throwing money down the drain, just to close out the player’s betting account.

The top online casinos in TX, all have a good variety of game selection, and allows the player to experience new and engaging games. In our recommended list, all the casinos have a good selection to choose from. If searching for something more specific then a player should research further and go direct to the online casino’s website. It’s prudent for any player to ensure that they have chosen an online casino that offers the games that they want to play.

Accessible and Prompt Customer Support

Every now and then a player will need to contact the Customer Support to resolve a technical issue or to assist with a query. Even the best online casinos will need to field queries and yes, they will also receive some complaints. The nature of casinos, is that some Players will always feel begrudged when they lose. Pushing that aside, having a great casino that responds quickly, professionally and helpfully, ranks highly on our list. The top online casinos are honest and will not use tactics to delay payments or swindle money.

Great Bonuses for New and Regulars

There were many aspects to bonuses that we can discuss. To categorize our rankings further we broke down bonuses into Welcome Bonuses, Loyalty (VIP bonuses), No Deposit Bonuses and Free Spins.

Welcome Bonuses are also known as Sign Up Bonuses. In some countries, online casinos offer a tiered deposit matching for their 1st, 2nd and so on deposit. For Texas players, the Welcome Bonus is usually a percentage of only the 1st Deposit / Sign up deposit. Occasionally some online casinos will also provide a match bonus for subsequent bonuses, but this is gradually dying out.

More important to take note is that the best online casinos have clear Terms and Conditions that articulate the wagering requirements. Wager requirements stipulate the wagering turn over needed in order for a withdrawal of the bonus to be allowed. If the wagering requirement isn’t met, the bonus cannot be cashed out.

This is a particular bug bear that players experience at poor online casinos that do not clearly state the wagering requirements. This can easily be avoided by sticking to our recommended list.

The best online casinos all have quality Loyalty Bonuses. These are the equivalent of the land based complimentary beverages and discounted meals. The only difference being, that the loyalty bonuses is directly credited to the bank roll. Again, similar to the Welcome Bonus, there may be Terms and Conditions that may be applied, such as wagering requirements. These will be clearly articulated on the websites of all the top online casinos.

Online Texas Casinos Slot Machines

Not as popular due to Terms and Conditions effectively placing No Deposit Bonuses as free play. All the top casinos do offer games to try for free, but very little offer a No Deposit whereby if resulting in a win the money can be immediately withdrawn. Still the No Deposit is a great way of experiencing close to real money gambling.

The best online casinos all offer respectable Free Spin Bonuses. Slot fans should choose from the recommended list the online casinos with the best free spins.

Safe and Secure – Payment and Player Information

Play at online casinos requires the transaction of real money to the online casino’s players account. And because of this, the best online casinos all offer and support payment methods that are widely recognized, trustworthy and cost effective.

In addition, the best online casinos will declare that they use the best encryption technology, to ensure that playing on a private browser does not leave the player exposed to unwanted tracking or hacking. The gold standard for internet security is SSL – Secure Sockets Layer and is used to create a secure gateway between the Players private browser and the online casino’s server.

Our recommended list of casinos, all have the most advance encryption technology and payment gateways to ensure a safe and secure player experience.

Which Texas Online Casinos should be avoided?

All online casinos that accept players from Texas are based offshore. Usually alarm bells start ringing when a Player reads this, but rest assured this does not mean they are not safe. Far from it. There are many companies that based their entities offshore, one of the most well know is Google, who in fact charge and process their receipts for Google Ads from Ireland. Offshore but still very much a safe and trusted company.

Accordingly, the best casinos are offshore, but they are licensed and are regulated and audited by a third party. They will display on their website, their locality and the third party that has audited them.

The online casinos to avoid are therefore one’s that are unlicensed and unregulated.

An online casino that is true to its players and wants to be in the industry for the long run, will obtain a license and be regulated.

Why play online and not land based?

Let’s run through why there is more fun to be had online than on land based. For starters Texas only has one land based casino which is Kickapoo, and it is restricted to Class II gaming. Technically no other tribal casino is permitted to offer Class II or Class III gaming. Tribal Casinos are bound by a compact, in which gaming is categorised as Class I for social, cultural and charitable games, Class II bingo like games and Class III Vegas like games. Please refer to the section on Texas Gambling Laws for explanation of why Kickapoo is permitted but other Tribes are not.

Casinos In Texas State

In addition to the one land based tribal casino, there is one commercially owned riverboat casino that has operated since 2015.

And that’s pretty much it. One tribal casino and one riverboat for the whole of Texas. Without stating the obvious, the gaming selection and convenience by playing at online casinos far exceeds that of playing at a land based or riverboat.

Please note, however, that there are other forms of gambling which players can branch out to in Texas. These include: horse and dog racing, the Texas Lottery games and also bingo. Bingo is surprisingly become quite popular again, and can also be found online.

Sports betting remains unavailable at any land based venue, whether it be through a bookie or via a betting window or terminal at a casino.

Texas Online Gambling

Extending beyond casinos, other forms of online gambling include sports betting, bingo and poker.

Online sports betting now exceeds that of online casinos with 2019 seeing an estimated turnover of $81 million. Online bingo and poker both saw approximately $10 million in turnover, significantly behind sports and casino games, but still demonstrating that there are plenty of Texas players taking it up.

The laws that apply to these forms of online gambling remain the same as that of online casinos. And therefore these sites are all based offshore.

Texas Gambling Laws

Texas gambling laws are relatively quite restrictive, as can be seen with the limited gambling options that are land based.

In summary Texas Gambling Laws are as follows:

• Online gambling is expressly prohibited in State Law. Though this may be the case, there has been no precedence of law enforcement agencies laying any charges on Players. Online gambling operators, on the other hand, are strictly prohibited in Texas, and therefore ALL online casinos are offshore based.
• The law only permits the Kickapoo Tribe to operate a casino on its territory (restricted to Class II games), while other Tribes are prohibited to establish a casino or any form of gambling. In a complex turn of events, the Kickapoo Tribe has been able to successfully argue that they are governed by the Federal compact that applies to Native American territories, while all other tribes are to abide under stricter State laws. Thus, Kickapoo is the only tribe that can offer gambling according to the law.
• Only one other casino has been approved to operate legally, and it is a riverboat casino.
• The State Law has given the Texas State Lottery a monopoly license to exclusively offer lottery products. In its products, it is authorized to offer instant games and draw games. All net proceeds are directed to the State’s educational fund.
• All bingo parlors must be operated on a charitable basis to be legal. A 3% levy is placed on the rental costs of bingo facilities.
• All commercial land based casinos and sports betting are prohibited at law.
• Permitted under State law is pari mutuel betting on horse and dog races. Simulcast betting is also permitted.
• The legal gambling age ranges between 18 for lottery, 18 for bingo (however under age players may partake if guardian consent is given) and 21 for pari mutuel and riverboat casino.

Legal Disclaimer:

Online Texas Casinos Reopen

WagerDex has disclosed the above statements as information only. We do not purport that the information is complete nor correct in entirety. The above statements are not be used as specific legal advice. No attorney and clients relationship exists between WagerDex and readers of this site.

Texas Lottery Commission

Online Texas Casino

The Texas Lottery Commission was founded in 1991, and has a monopoly in Texas for being the sole distributor of lottery games. The minimum age is 18 to play Texas Lottery games that include Scratch tickets, intra-state lotto pools and inter-state (multi-juridictional) lotto pools.

Net proceeds raised through Lottery games are direct to Texas Educational programs.

It is estimated that for 2019, there was a total turnover of $6.2 billion.

Conclusion

Online Texas Casinos

Our recommended list of TX online casinos has been prepared with assessment against several key criteria. These include: Game Selection, Safety and Security, Bonuses and Customer Service. Relative to land based gaming options, there is a lot of real money gaming to be had online and it’s also more convenient. Though the gambling laws are quite clear in its stance for interactive gaming, the fact that there is over $75 million wagered online by Texas players each year, is indicative that there is very little risk of being charged.