HomeTexas Online Casinos

No, online casinos are not legal in Texas. This means that Texas players cannot gamble or get access to any online casino that offers cash prizes. Furthermore, you won’t be able to access online slots or poker rooms in a legitimate manner.

Texas was unable to enact online gambling legislation during the 2023 session, and because the legislature convenes every other year, the next chance to get a ballot measure approved is during the 2025 session. Should a bill be passed and affirmed by Texan voters, online casinos could be licensed and operating in the state in early 2026.

Best Texas online casinos

Since it is illegal to play with real money at online casinos in Texas, social casinos are the safest option at this moment since they do not require funds to participate.

However, when the Lone Star State decides to change that, we expect the operators below (listed alphabetically) to be among the best Texas online casinos.

🎰 BetRivers Casino Texas ⭐ Potentially the best Texas online casino
🎰 DraftKings Casino Texas ⭐ Best for online roulette, blackjack, and exclusive slots with promotions
🎰 FanDuel Casino Texas ⭐ Top casino with innovative games and fast growth in the U.S. market
🎰 Fanatics Casino Texas ⭐ Strong online casino with an extensive sports fan base

BetRivers Logo

BetRivers Casino Texas

BetRivers Casino is quite popular in the market and is available in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The platform was founded at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and has been steadily expanding its influence across the country ever since.

When Texas legalizes online gambling, this operator can become one of the top options, as BetRivers’ Casino play is even more highly regarded than its sportsbook platform.

DraftKings Casino Texas Logo

DraftKings Casino Texas

DraftKings acquired Golden Nugget Online Gaming in May 2022, expanding its online platform based on sports betting and daily fantasy sports. Its casino is among the best places to play online roulette, blackjack, and other table games.

You can also play land-based casino slots and online exclusives such as 2 Tribes, Hippie Chicks, and Monster Mash. The casino offers promotions and rewards to its users.

FanDuel Casino Texas Logo

FanDuel Casino Texas

Like DraftKings above, FanDuel began as a daily fantasy sports site but has since evolved to offer one of the top casino and sportsbook platforms to boot. FanDuel Casino offers an extensive gaming library with some of the most innovative online casino games.

The casino is fast growing in the U.S. market and is expected to deliver the best services to its users, including its Texas players once the state legalizes online gambling.

Fanatics Casino Texas Logo

Fanatics Casino Texas

Fanatics is buying PointsBet’s operations in the U.S., so the casino brand should become a Fanatics product.

This is a well-financed company with an existing customer base of sports fans, so they should deliver a strong online casino that could be part of the landscape in Texas.

Start playing at an online casino in TX

While you won’t be able to start playing at an online casino in TX until after the state passes a sports betting bill and receives voter approval, you can still be prepared to know the full registration process you’ll find regardless of the operator.

Here are five easy steps to take to safely start playing at an online casino in Texas following the launch of online gambling in the state.

  • Find an online casino in Texas from our approved operators list: Before playing at an online casino, check our list to make sure the site you’re looking to play at is legal and licensed. We will only list legit operators on our site, so if you don’t see a casino listed, it’s not one you can trust. We will also have reviews of these casinos so you can get all the details you need before you’re ready to play. Even better, you may be able to take advantage of a sign-up bonus through our site to get a number of registration perks!
  • Visit the casino's website: After going through the list of casinos, check out the casino’s website. This will give you more details on the casinos and what games they offer. One underrated but important aspect of online casinos is their aesthetic appeal. Are you someone who likes tons of bright colors, flashing lights, and sound effects or are you someone who prefers a bit simpler, more straightforward player experience?
  • Sign up for an account: Once you have navigated to the site, there will be a registration button you can click. On most sites, this button is in the top right corner of the screen. From there, fill out your personal information, including your legal first and last name, street address, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your birthday. Note that some operators may require you to upload a copy of your government ID or driver’s license, but this is a rare occurrence.
  • Make a deposit with your preferred method: To make a deposit, select the payment method of your choice. Once you click on the deposit option, you can choose the amount within a specified range for that method. Most methods will have a minimum deposit between $10 and $20 with a maximum that can range from $5,000 to $10,000. Keep in mind that the easiest way to withdraw your winnings is often through the same method you used to make a deposit.
  • Start playing casino games: Once you’ve claimed the welcome bonus, visited the site, signed up for an account, and made your deposit, you’ll be able to browse the selection of games and start playing. It’s really that simple!

Bonuses and promos at Texas online casinos

There are hundreds of online casino websites where players can test their luck. If they win, they get sizable rewards and cash prizes. Due to the growing competition in the industry, casinos often try to come up with all kinds of Texas online casino bonuses and promotions to attract new players and keep existing players coming back for more.

Whether you plan to be a frequent gamer or a casual player once Texas legalizes online gambling, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the terminology ahead of time. Here are some of the most common bonuses and promos you’ll find at Texas online casinos.

  • Sign-up bonus: Casinos offer a sign-up bonus to new users when they register on the website. Sign-up bonuses can come in a variety of forms, so be sure to find the offers that best suit the types of games you want to play. If you’re someone who only wants to play Texas online poker, getting free spins for online slots won’t be very beneficial.
  • Deposit match bonus: The deposit match bonus is a very popular promotion at online casinos. To get it, you have to open a new account and choose a method of payment. When you make your first deposit in the casino account, the operator will match that deposit as part of the bonus. In most cases, the deposit matches at 100% up to the maximum bonus you receive, but there are times this percentage can be even higher. Like most bonuses, there are terms and conditions that you have to comply with such as wagering requirements and expiration timelines.
  • No deposit bonus: Compared to others, the no deposit bonus is far more rare, but it is also one of the best offers out there when you can find it. Unlike the deposit match, a no deposit bonus doesn’t require funding your account. This bonus can come in the form of free spins for certain slot games or bet credit for table games or poker. These credits or spins won’t be included in any potential payout calculations but they will allow you to play without utilizing the funds in your account.
  • Free spins bonus: Casinos regularly have free spins available for slot players whether they are new or returning gamblers. With this bonus, the casino will award free spins you can use on a selected slot game or on a certain number of lines you can play. Free spins have a fixed value included in the bonus terms and conditions.

Casino games that are commonly found at TX online casinos

Regardless of which casino (or casinos) you choose to play at, you’ll find some crossover in the game types offered across various platforms. Casinos operate on different gaming software, but the companies that provide that software aren’t the sole partners for online gambling companies.

You are likely to find unique game selections at every casino you join, but you’ll also find loads of popular games based on industry trends, pop culture, and more.

It is important to do research on the games that each casino offers as well as its software providers. The more providers, the higher the chances of a wide range of games. You can identify casino games present from the software providers.

  • Slots: Slot games come in many variations on the aspects surrounding the environment. Some of them are progressive slots, 3D slots, video slots, classic slots, and fruit machines among others. Online slots tend to carry thematic elements based on movies, TV shows, bands and musicians, fantasy scenery, and much more.
  • Video poker: Video poker is very common in land-based casinos as well as online casinos. Examples of video poker include Joker Poker, Bonus Poker, Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, and Double Jackpot Poker.
  • Roulette: At its core, roulette focuses on a numbered spinning wheel and a small ball. Bettors can choose whether the ball will land in a red, black, or green slot, a specific number, a range of numbers, or some combination of the above. You can play the multi-wheel, live dealer roulette, multi-ball roulette, 3D roulette, French roulette, and American roulette among others. Be sure to read the game description to figure out how to play each variant.
  • Craps: Craps is a popular dice game that can be played against other bettors at a land-based casino or against the house with an online platform. Gamblers bet on the outcome of dice rolls There are some variations that can include playing with cards instead of dice, but these are rare at online casinos.
  • Blackjack: Also called “21,” blackjack involves trying to get a better hand than the dealer by getting closer to a card value of 21 without going over that amount. By using basic strategy, blackjack can have one of the highest return-to-player rates of casino games.
  • Texas Hold’em: Texas Hold’em involves players trying to get the best five-card hand using a combination of two of their own cards and a pool of five cards that anyone at the table can use.
  • Omaha: Similar to Texas Hold’em, Omaha poker sees players choose two of four cards dealt to them, and using three of five community cards, they come up with the best five-card hand they can.

Most used payment methods at online casino apps in TX

As a general rule of thumb, casinos that accept more payment options will be quicker with their transactions. Having a wider selection of funding methods shows the platform is trying to make things as hassle-free for the players as possible.

Keep in mind casinos will have minimum and maximum deposit and withdrawal limits. Others may have no limits, but online casino players should always be willing to impose their own limits. Some common methods of payment that casino apps in Texas use are:

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Prepaid casino card (such as Play+)
  • Online banking (ACH)
  • Apple Pay
  • PayPal
  • Venmo
  • Skrill
  • Neteller
  • Trustly

Mobile gaming at online casinos in Texas

Online casinos are usually compatible with any smartphone device or tablet. While online gambling is not currently available in Texas, you’ll find once that status changes that there will be a plethora of mobile gaming options for you to choose from.

In most cases, using a gambling platform’s app will be preferable to using a web browser. This is because the apps are more optimized for player performance and are more customizable to player preferences. While some may still prefer the larger display of a desktop, there’s no “one size fits all” play style, appearance, or interface.

The legal forms of online gambling in Texas are Indian casinos, lottery, charitable bingo, raffles, pull tabs, and pari-mutuel wagering. In the 1980s, the courts agreed that each of the three Indian tribes in Texas could operate any kind of gambling as per the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

These casinos have been highly contested and in 2017, the state made an effort to shut them down. Previously In 2015, the National Indian Gaming Commission ruled that legal gaming on tribal land should continue.

In 2017, federal laws permitted each state to control the legality of gaming within its territories. Texas’ efforts to shut down casinos on tribal lands were ultimately ineffective, as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the tribe’s autonomy in 2022. The casinos at Eagle Pass, Livingston, and El Paso are still operating today.

Who regulates gambling in Texas?

There are multiple authorities that regulate gambling-related activities in Texas. While the National Indian Gaming Commission regulates tribal casinos, the Texas Racing Commission regulates wagering on horse and greyhound racing. There is also the Texas Lottery Commission that oversees Texas Lottery games and charitable bingo.

However, there has been a proposal to form the Texas Casino Commission, an umbrella body that will oversee all kinds of online gambling in the Lone Star State. Should Texas decide to launch such a commission or centralized oversight agency, that group would be spearheaded by the office of the Texas Attorney General.

Taxes on online gambling winnings in Texas

Taxes, online gambling, IRS, reporting taxes

Gambling operators will send you a Texas gambling tax form if you meet certain thresholds for betting winnings. You will receive a W-2G tax form if you win:

  • $600 or more on a horse race (if the win pays at least 300 times the wager amount)
  • $1,200 or more at bingo or on a slot machine
  • $1,500 or more at keno
  • $5,000 or more in a poker tournament

For sports betting, all net winnings must be claimed on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. This includes winnings that have not been reported with a W2-G.

How to report gambling taxes to the IRS in TX

Gambling winnings are taxable income and must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If you live in Texas, you must report your gambling income and losses on your federal income tax return. To report your gambling income, you must file Form 1040 and attach Schedule 1 (Form 1040). Depending on the type of winning, you may also need to include a W-2G form.

Licensed gambling sites vs offshore sites in TX

Offshore gambling sites may seem like a fun way to play, especially in states where sports betting isn’t legal, but these sites can be dangerous. Your personal and financial information can be at risk, and if anything happens such as identity theft, fraud, or refusal to release your winnings, you’ll have no legal recourse because those operators fall outside of state and federal jurisdiction. They are not subject to the same standards and regulations as legally licensed sites, so those wanting to bet in TX would be wise to wait.

There are no state or federal laws that expressly prohibit betting at an offshore site, but with the risks described above, and with the laws in practice as a bit of a gray area, it is better to avoid an offshore operator altogether. Waiting for licensed gambling sites may not be the most “fun” option, but the discipline and patience required to do so will make you a better bettor in the long run.

Responsible gambling in Texas

Gambling can be an enjoyable pastime for many people, but it is important to gamble responsibly in order to avoid addiction and financial difficulties. In Texas, there are several ways to gamble responsibly and minimize the risk of losing large amounts of money.

Firstly, it is important to set a budget for both your time and your money, then stick to that budget. By setting limits to how much time you spend at a betting site, you’ll be less likely to lose track of your time and bet more than you can afford to lose. Similarly, by limiting the amount you can deposit or play with, you’ll be less tempted to chase losses.

Secondly, it is important to choose your games wisely. Some games, such as slot machines, have a higher house edge and are more likely to result in losses. It is better to choose games that require some degree of skill, such as poker or blackjack, where you have a better chance of winning.

Thirdly, it is important to take breaks and not gamble when you are feeling an extreme degree of emotion (positive or negative) or if you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol. These factors can impair your judgment and lead to impulsive and risky gambling behavior.

Finally, it is important to seek help if you think you or someone you know has a gambling problem. There are several resources available in Texas, such as Gamblers Anonymous and the Texas Lottery Commission, which can provide support and advice on how to gamble responsibly and overcome addiction.

By following these guidelines, Texans can enjoy gambling as a fun and entertaining pastime without putting themselves at risk of addiction or financial difficulties.

The history of online gambling in Texas

In Texas, the history of online gambling is an interesting one, with various legislative changes and legal battles shaping the landscape over the years. Here is a timeline of the history of online gambling in Texas:

  • 2006: The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is passed, which prohibits financial institutions from processing transactions related to online gambling.
  • 2011: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issues an opinion stating that online gambling is illegal under Texas law.
  • 2013: The Texas House of Representatives introduces a bill that would legalize and regulate online poker in Texas, but it does not pass.
  • 2018: The Supreme Court strikes down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which clears the way for states to legalize and regulate sports betting if they choose to do so.
  • 2019: A bill is introduced in the Texas Legislature that would allow for the regulation of Texas sports betting, but it does not pass.
  • 2023: House Bill 1942 and House Joint Resolution 102 pass in the House but fall short of automatically moving to the Senate for another vote. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick blocks bills from advancing to Senate.

FAQ

How old do I need to be to play at a TX online gambling site?

Once the state legalizes online gambling, you will probably need to be at least 21 years old to play at a TX online gambling site. This would fall in line with the age requirements in most other states.

How many online casinos are operating in Texas?

There are no online casinos operating in Texas at this time as online gambling is not permitted under state law. This could change if the legislature passes a sports betting bill during the 2025 session.

Does Texas have any land-based casinos?

Texas has three land-based casinos which are located on Native American tribal lands. These include the Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass, Naskila Gaming in Livingston, and the Speaking Rock Casino and Entertainment Center in El Paso.