The state of Texas in the USA is one of the most conservative when it comes to all forms of gambling. Be it a land-based or an online casino, the state has a final say in whether it will be able to provide services to customers. And in 99% of the cases (with a couple of exceptions like tribal and riverboat casinos), the answer is No.
Lobbyists have been systematically trying to push through the bills that would allow games of chance or sports betting. The hope for fans of betting that this activity would become legal were particularly on the rise after the Supreme Court’s historic vote in May of 2018.
In what might have been the biggest shake up in the USA industry of gambling, by a 6-3 ruling, the judges decided that sports betting would become legal in 47 out of 50 states. The majority of these states immediately began the process of licensing and launching specialized betting venues. Not Texas, though. Since 2019, the local lawmakers and state representatives have been going back and forth with negotiations, field trips to other states, and all sorts of research on the subject. Preparing the ground but not exactly there yet.
At the same time, research analytics shows that Texans are very much in favor of gambling. Due to the absence of in-state gambling venues, players head online, to offshore live casino lobbies. The total gross win for the state of Texas has been fluctuating between 170 to 190 million dollars per year for the past half a decade. It was predicted to pass the $200 mln threshold in 2020 had it not been for the pandemic.
Out of this gross win, the biggest shares fall on sports and casino, two types of content that Texas seem to be interested in the most.
