The Texas state lawmakers missed the chance to bring sports betting to sports fans in the previous year. Although there were signs that sports betting legalization could happen, the deadline was missed by lawmakers, when the current legislative session ended.
Louisiana, being a neighboring state to Texas, is set to begin the betting and gambling experience in the early stages of 2022, and given its close proximity to Texas residents will still be able to experience their sports gambling with a quick drive to Shreveport, for example, as it is approximately 20 miles from the border with Texas.
Texas attempted to legalize sports betting back in 2019, however, such a bill itself failed to get past the house.
In 2020, attempts to push through the legalization did not proceed. With no bill being put forward by anyone, the Lone Star state saved its attempts for 2021.
However, nothing has come to terms with regards to the legalization of sports betting in Texas in the year 2021, with the state missing the May 31st deadline, which as mentioned earlier, is when the legislative session ended.
In light of this, it now seems like 2023 will be the earliest in which Texas will see sports betting legalized in their state, giving Texans the ability to gamble and bet on their favorite sports for the very first time, in their own state.
Are there any alternatives for Texans who wish to engage in gambling and betting at this time?
At the current moment, it is not legal to run a sportsbook operation (betting) in the State of Texas. This is caused due to the lack of legalization and authorization of any sports betting operations within the state. If one finds a sportsbook, being online or offline, that is claiming to operate under license in the state of Texas, this may well be operated in an illegal manner, bets are not recommended to be placed through such an operation.
Despite all this, It is not illegal for Texas residents to place bets through offshore betting sites. Offshore sportsbooks are licensed, authorized and regulated by a different jurisdiction, outside of the state of Texas. By being regulated outside of Texas (and the USA) it is safe and legal for Texas residents to place bets at these sites.
One must be sure however that he is using an efficient and reliable site to place bets on. As this is very important for the safety of the player in question. There are many sites to choose from, however Sportslens list of trustworthy TX sites has more than enough options should one wish to partake in such an exciting experience.
The future of Online Betting and Gambling
When the infamous pandemic hit, all the casinos and sportsbooks were forced to close. This led to a huge drop in revenue for traditional establishments but opened up new opportunities and possibilities for the online gambling industry.
Once the traditional, land-based establishment closed, internet activity went through the roof. More players than ever used their smartphones and computers to access the web, play casino games and place bets on whatever sports events were still going on. This can partly show why the future of sports betting may reside online.
Before online casinos were considered reliable and efficient, one had to travel a considerable amount of distance to reach their nearest casino, they can now just pick up a smartphone, or go on their personal computer and start playing wherever you are on the globe. For example, in the past, in order to place a bet on a football game, one would have to organize a quick trip to the nearest sportsbook but now it’s a few clicks away.
Such convenience means that online sports betting and casino games are becoming more and more popular than visiting traditional establishments. A younger market is also coming to play, as since they are more in touch with online games, they would prefer trying their luck placing a bet online, rather than the traditional, land-based Sportsbook or Casino.
As going online to place a bet on sports becomes even more convenient as time goes by, new online trends have been seen to emerge. It also seems that the traditional land-based sportsbooks and casinos will become less visible in urban areas. However, one can expect to see more virtual sports emerging, including the likes of football, basketball, and even motor racing. Esports will rise and become bigger and better, hence why gambling on such events and websites will become more popular and safe.
While there are still laws in place prohibiting sports betting in many countries and regions such as Texas, online sportsbooks will take advantage, and seize the opportunity, gaining fresh new customers and growing indefinitely.
