Texas is one of the strictest states when it comes to gambling and its laws can cover a wide variety of activities. Under Texas law, (Penal Code §47.02) gambling is considered a criminal offense if someone:
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- Yet Texas lawmakers have shut down even the smallest discussions of gambling expansion. Take the horse racing industry, for example. After betting on the races became legal again in 1987, DFW.
- Currently, the Texas State Gaming Commission handles oversight of a small gambling industry. The latest bill as of March 2020 is called Texas HJR 61 and calls for a constitutional amendment to permit sports betting in Texas.
The billionaire owner of the largest casino operator in the world has his eyes set on the state Capitol in Austin, hoping to convince state lawmakers to legalize casino gambling in Texas. Sheldon Adelson—multi-billionaire casino tycoon, GOP national mega-donor, and chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation—has made striking moves.
- 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
- 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; or
- plays and bets for money or other thing of value at any game played with cards, dice, balls, or any other gambling device.
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The law does provide for some exceptions such as participating in the state lotteryor placing bets on horse and greyhound dog races (sometimes referred to as pari-mutuel wagering). The law also provides for some affirmative defenses to prosecution:
- the actor engaged in gambling in a private place;
- no person received any economic benefit other than personal winnings; and
- except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning were the same for all participants
Additional exceptions include if the person reasonably believed their conduct:
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- was permitted under Chapter 2001, Occupations Code; (Charitable Bingo)
- was permitted under Chapter 2002, Occupations Code; (Charitable Raffles)
- was permitted under Chapter 2004, Occupations Code; (Sports Charity Raffles)
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Texas Legalize Sports Gambling Sites
The first page of this guide will provide you with an overview of the Texas laws on gambling while the subsequent pages will discuss more specific topics like bingo, eight-liners and poker.