People see ads for sports betting companies and apps all throughout the media, and though the activity is legal in most U.S. states, Texas is still one of 11 where sports betting is not legal.
Although sports gambling is promoted nation-wide, only two of the 80 ads that aired during Super Bowl 59 were for sports betting apps. FanDuel was the only online gambling company to run their commercials. According to ISpot the company had one ad play during pre-game and one ad during the second quarter, with each playing throughout the country’s stream of the big game. According to the NFL, in the U.S. viewership of the Super Bowl was around 127.7 million, with over 100 million viewers seeing these two ads for sports betting.
Betting on sports is illegal in Texas, yet there are many residents that participate in some form of gambling on sports. With some traveling to bet on sporting events in neighboring states such as New Mexico, Arkansas or Louisiana.
There are many sports betting advocates in the Lone Star State. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has shared his thoughts on the matter with a stance to legalize it on the Houston Chronicle’s Texas Take podcast.
“I don’t have a problem with online sports betting, the reality is I would be shocked if there’s not some Texans who do it already. It’s a very common practice and it seems to be part of the entertainment that goes along with watching a football game, especially pro football, or other types of sports,” Abbott said.
While gambling does have a negative side to some, the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) has shown positive projections that legalized sport betting could bring to the state.
Online gambling companies such as DraftKings, BetMGM, Fanatics Sportsbook and FanDuel are represented by the SBA with a mission for people to enjoy the benefits of transparent and legal sports betting and online casino gaming in all 50 U.S. states while ensuring consumer protections.
According to projections from the SBA over $360 million in state tax revenue could be generated with the legalization of sport betting in Texas. That revenue would then be put towards different state departments such as education, health care, infrastructure and transportation.
In the Lone Star State, there’s a positive attitude towards the idea of legalized sports betting. According to a research study done by the University of Houston, around 60% of Texans favor the idea of the state legalizing betting on sports.
UTEP business administration student Emilio Uranga supports the legalization of sports even if there could be potential risks.
“I think sports betting in Texas should legal, but I think it could be harmful if people risk too much, if they risk more than they should, but otherwise I don’t think it should be harmful, because it gives people more meaning to the game, it makes it exciting,” Uranga said.
The biggest question is, “Why hasn’t sports betting become legal in Texas?”
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a federal law originally passed in 1992 was struck down in May of 2018 by the Supreme Court to allow states to have the ultimate decision on the activity. Since then, 39 states in the U.S. as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico could have some form of legal sports betting.
During the 2023 Texas Legislature the legalization of sports betting was close to being passed by the Texas House of Representatives. However, the bill was not republican driven, thus halted by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
“Unless I have 15, 16 Republicans — meaning it’s a Republican-driven bill because we’re in a Republican-driven state––I’m not bringing a bill to the floor. I need to have consensus by the Republicans. Otherwise, it’s a bill that the Democrats are passing. We don’t do that in the Senate,” Patrick said.
With the 2025 Texas Legislature currently ongoing, advocates are hopeful that sports betting will become legal. With a majority of Texans on board with the idea, all the state can do at the moment is wait.
Joseph Montero is a staff reporter for The Prospector and may be reached at [email protected].
