Texas Online Casinos and Gambling Sites in 2024

Texas has three Native American-owned land-based casinos that offer Class II bingo slot machines.

While Texas’s safest online gambling sites accept players, the following three locations are the only live-casino action in the Lone Star State:

The state has three horse tracks with pari-mutuel betting: Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie near Dallas, Retama Park in Selma near San Antonio, and Sam Houston Race Park in Houston.

There are no sportsbooks regulated and run in the state. To bet on sports in Texas, you can join offshore online sportsbooks.

Texas is a hotbed of charitable gambling, with more than 1,400 licensed bingo halls statewide.

Social gaming in the form of private poker games is allowed in Texas.

Dozens of poker clubs operate in the state. Texans can also play poker online without legal worries at many licensed offshore poker rooms.

You can play slot-like machines called eight-liners and skill games in many gas stations and convenience stores around the state.

As of 2023, no. However, large cruise lines operate out of Galveston and offer casinos onboard.

Since Texans cannot find traditional slots at land-based casinos within the state, online is the best and most convenient source.

Slots are popular at online casinos and make up the majority of games. These slots run like slots at Texas land-based casinos with random number generators, and they are checked regularly for fairness.

While there are plenty of land-based poker rooms in Texas, low-limit online games are a great practice arena for players. There are many reputable online poker rooms available to Texans.

Of course, Texas Hold ’em is the popular game at online sites, but you can also find various Omaha and stud games.

Look for plenty of tournaments and zone games at these sites. Some of them even host qualifiers for World Series of Poker events. The best online poker rooms are licensed and known for quick and hassle-free cashouts.

The most popular game at Las Vegas-type brick-and-mortar casinos is also at most Texas online casinos. Most of these games are not set up to allow card counting, but many have multi-hand tables and are an excellent way to test your play and betting strategies.

Texans can find various forms of blackjack, including games that offer side bets for bonus wins on special cards. The games generally pay the standard 3:2 for blackjack, but they vary.

The betting ranges are usually smaller than land-based casinos, carrying the same high return to player (RTP) as any casino. Blackjack is another game you won’t find at the tribal casinos in Texas.

If you like the atmosphere of a Vegas-type casino but want to stay home, live dealer games at online casinos are the closest thing to being there.

These are studio setups with real dealers and other players that you can chat with. Play blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and other games you will find on any traditional casino floor but won’t find at Texas casinos.

The bet limits are more like land-based casinos, and the dealers accept tips.

The answer is a combination of yes and no. The U.S. Supreme Court has essentially made it up to each state to determine, and Texas has not legally addressed online gambling yet.

It is currently illegal to base an online gambling company in Texas. However, until laws directly address online gambling in the state, Texas residents can legally access and play real money games at “offshore” sites that are licensed outside of the US.

Gambling is defined as making a wager on the outcome of an event or the performance of people participating in the event. This can be the outcome of an athletic contest, political vote, appointment, or the degree of success of a political figure.

Gambling also encompasses betting money or other things of value at games played with cards, dice, balls, or any other gambling device.

The exceptions: It is OK to gamble in a private place when no one receives any profit other than personal winnings. And when except for the advantage of skill or luck, the risks of losing and the chances of winning are the same for all participants. (Section 47.02 of the Texas Penal Code.)

It is against Texas law to gain from the earnings of a gambling place, engage in bookmaking, sell chances on outcomes, or run a private lottery. (Section 47.03 Texas Penal Code)

It is illegal to own, rent, lease, or control a property used as a for-profit gambling place. (Section 47.04 Texas Penal Code)

It is against the law to share information on unlawful wagering, betting odds, or changes in betting odds or using equipment for transmitting such information. (Section 47.05 Texas Penal Code)

Exceptions: Race tracks can host simulcast betting and other race-related odds information. (Chapter 2027, Occupations Code)

In Texas, you cannot own, make, transfer, or possesses any gambling device that is used illegally or parts for such a device.

Exceptions: You can have a gambling device in a private place where the gambler receives no more than personal winnings, and the chances of winning are the same for everyone. (Section 47.06 Texas Penal Code)

Texas law does not speak specifically to online gambling. But it does expressly prohibit gambling or hosting for-profit unlicensed gambling operations in the state. That has been interpreted to cover online gambling.

In short, setting up an online gambling business inside Texas is illegal. That would cover online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker sites.

Under Chapter 47 of the Texas Penal Code, any online gambling operation based in Texas would be considered a Class A Misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

You want a popular casino with a good reputation with players and reviewers.

Some casino sites have a security seal of approval or at least 64-bit secure socket layering (SSL) encryption that keeps your money and information safe.

A good casino is licensed under a jurisdiction that demands specific standards.

The more an online casino tells you about its background, game creators, RTPs, and rules, the better. 

Your fellow players will tell you about a casino’s good and bad aspects. But don’t be misled by angry people who simply want to vent.

The best casinos have a section about responsible gaming, with some sites offering advice and tools to keep your gambling in check.

Too many casinos make it easy to deposit money but hard to withdraw, so check for various options that include cryptocurrency.