Online Casinos In Texas
Texas isn’t known for its liberal stance on most issues, and online casino gambling in Texas is no exception. There are only a few land-based casinos in the whole of the Lone Star State, mostly operated by Native American tribes, and online gambling is prohibited at a federal level under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (2006). Online Gambling Casinos in Texas. The Lone Star State is currently considering passing an amendment to the constitution that would allow online poker, on the condition that poker becomes legal under federal law. This proposal was initially rejected in 2013, but this law would have only affected poker and not online casinos.
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For some strange reason, the land of Texas Hold ’em is not a state that likes online gambling. What’s more, they heavily frown upon it and have some of the strictest gambling laws in the United States. The worst states for online gambling are Utah and Hawaii, but Texas is right after them.
It might sound strange that you can barely play Texas Hold’em Poker in the state of Texas, but it is what it is. And in this piece, we thought we would delve deeper into Texas’s gambling laws and where you can and can’t play casino games, be it online or offline.
Top 5 Texas Online Casinos
Here is a list of our top 5 recommended online casino sites to play at for real money from Texas.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Texas?
Even though most of our wild west and saloon gambling imagery comes from Texas, this state has always been very strict with gambling. As soon as the first forms of gambling in the state, lottery and horse racing, gained popularity, the local government banned them.
What’s interesting here is that Texas has very broad gambling laws, unlike other states. For this reason, almost all forms of gambling are banned. The same goes for online gambling, which was permanently banned even before it arrived in Texas.
To better understand this, here is how Texas law describes gambling: “an agreement to win or lose something of value solely or partially by chance.” With such a broad definition, it’s easy to understand why most gambling is banned.
Naturally, things like state lotteries, charitable raffles, and charitable bingo are all allowed. In essence, if it’s for charity, then it’s allowed, and if the state organizes it, it’s also allowed. For example, the state allows for some coin-operated machines, as they are already covered by a specific part of the Texas Occupations Code.
In addition to that, social casinos are also allowed because they don’t involve real money. So, if you want to play any “gambling” game, you can, as long as you don’t use real money. If you’re going to win real money, you can still play sweepstakes, i.e. social casinos where you participate in tournaments where the rewards are cash prizes. This is allowed as they are classified under a different law.
If that’s not enough, you can also participate in off-track betting on horses, which is essentially a form of online gambling, but in the eyes of Texas gambling laws, it’s still legal.
Now, as for real online casinos, you are probably thinking about offshore casinos. Let’s take a look at how that works in the state of Texas.
Can I Play in Offshore Casinos?
Technically, you can. However, beside the fact that the laws are too strict, the government is known to punish players for participating in any form of illegal gambling activities. Naturally, it’s not very common for people playing in offshore casinos to be fined, but it’s not unheard of. If you are caught, you can end up having to pay a fine of $500.
So, if you decide to play in an offshore casino, you need to be aware that a small chance exists of Texas fining you for the activity. Even with the slightest possibility of being punished for playing in offshore casinos, we can’t advise players to join offshore casinos.
Future of Online Gambling in Texas
Even though many states are changing their views on online gambling, Texas is certainly not one of them. That’s why we can safely say that you shouldn’t hope for online gambling to become legal in Texas anytime soon.
Naskila Casino Livingston Tx
Other states are making plans for the future, but Texas laws are set in stone, so it seems, and there is nothing that can suggest the state’s government will change its mind. This is especially true for online sports betting and online casinos. The first is being legalized in many states, while there are plans for the latter in at least a dozen or so states.
However, no such plans exist in Texas. On top of that, whenever online gambling is brought out by local representatives, the majority in the state’s legislature put it down.
If at some point, the local government changes its mind and starts legalizing online gambling, you will still have to wait for a long time until the whole process is done, and the first licensed online casinos appear in the state. In essence, there is no chance to see any kind of online betting or casino site in Texas for the next several years, at least.
Land-based Casinos in Texas
Texas is not lenient with offline gambling. However, there are differences in the laws that you’ll like.
Don’t expect any commercial land-based casinos in the state, as those are not allowed. However, you can still play many casino games in tribal casinos, which are entirely legal in Texas, in the land owned by the local native tribes.
A total of two tribal casinos exist in the state of Texas, and we’ll cover both, so you know what to expect if you decide to visit one.
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel
Kickapoo is the biggest and the best tribal casino in Texas. It’s located in the city of Eagle Pass, and it spans 16,000 square feet in size.
Here, you can play a wide variety of casino games, but there are no traditional table games like craps, blackjack, and roulette. However, there are more than 3,300 slot machines you can enjoy. Furthermore, there is a poker room where you can play most of the day.
As the Kickapoo Casino is also a hotel, you can expect to find accommodation and even restaurants.
Naskila Gaming
Naskila Gaming is a smaller casino owned and operated by Alabama.Coushatta Tribe of Texas. It’s also a newer one, being opened in 2016, but it has a decent selection of slots, as there are around 800 of them in this casino.
On top of that, the casino has a private VIP Lounge and three restaurants.
FAQ
No, it’s completely illegal, as we’ve explained in the article. Unfortunately, there are no plans to make it legal, and the only way to play any online gambling game is to bet on off-track horse races or to visit an offshore casino. Unfortunately, the latter tends to be risky as Texas is known to fine players for participating in any kind of illegal online gambling game, including offshore casinos.
As online gambling is illegal, there is no legal online gambling age in Texas. However, if you are at least 18 years old, you can still participate in lotteries, and visit and gamble in horse racing and dog racing venues.
No, there are no plans to make online gambling legal any time soon. What’s more, even if these changes sometime soon, online gambling is still several years away.
No, they are not. You can play in them, but you still run the risk of being fined by the state of Texas.
No, just like most other online gambling games aren’t. This is somewhat strange as Texas is the state of Texas Hold’em Poker, but it seems that you won’t be able to play it in this state!
Texas was the 28th state to join the United States and has earned a reputation for being one of the most business-friendly states in the country.
Yet, to this day, Texas remains the state least likely to legalize online gambling in the US.
Currently, online gambling is illegal in The Lone Star state. Brick and mortar casinos built in the state are also deemed to be illegal.
However, there are still a few ways you can gamble legally in the state:
- Indian Casinos
- Boat Cruise Casinos
- Horse and Dog Tracks
- Lottery/Raffles
Online Casinos in Texas
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like online casinos will ever be legalized in Texas. The government is very opposed to the idea and dismisses any attempts at trying to regulate it.
That being said, there are still options for those who want to play casino games for real money! Texas allows sweepstakes which means you can play slots online and potentially win cash.
You can also participate in legal online poker games through sweepstakes sites or Daily Fantasy Sports leagues. The state tends to move quite slow when it comes to gambling laws, land andonline, so we don't expect much out of Texas.
Land-Based Casinos in Texas
There are two Indian casinos and one casino boat in Texas.
Both Indian casinos offer class II gaming machines based on bingo. Class II video gaming devices in Texas casinos look like slot machines but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels arefor “entertainment purposes only.”
No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on any gaming machines in Texas casinos. Unlike the casinos in Texas, in many states, the slot machine payback statisticsfor that particular state’s casinos are released as a matter of public record. Just click here to seea list of slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. casinos.
If you are looking for Texas casinos near Houston this is your best bet. While Houston has no casinos, Jacks or Better Casino is only about an hour away.
Types of Casinos in Texas
Currently, there are only 2 land-based casinos in operation in the state of Texas. Both of these are owned, operated, and built on Native American territories. There is also one casino cruiseship, and horse tracks which accept parimutuel betting.
Indian Casinos
Under federal law, all Native American territories are considered to be independent and operate under their own jurisdiction.
However, ever since the 'Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act' came into play in 1988, the government of Texas has been trying to change this. A campaign was launched within the court system toshut down all forms of gambling, specific to those on Native American soil within the state.
The state of Texas argues that the 'Federal Restoration Act' of 1987, which officially recognized the Tigua and Alabama - Coushatta tribes, should take legal priority. Why? Because this billexplicitly prohibits gambling.
One of the Indian casinos in Texas, Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino, offers pull-tab machines, bingo, and poker. That casino is the larger of the two casinos in Texas. It has a hotel, fiverestaurants, and a casino with 3,300 gaming machines.
The other casino, Naskila Gaming, does not have a hotel. It has one cafe and more than 800 gaming machines.
Both of these casinos are open 24 hours daily.
Casino Cruise Ship
Online Casino Texas Holdem Poker
The casino boat, Jacks or Better Casino, is based in Galveston. The boat sails nine miles out into the Gulf of Mexico where casino gambling is permitted.
The casino boat offers blackjack, craps, roulette, three card poker, a sportsbook, slots, and video poker. You must provide a photo ID or you won’t be allowed to board.
Parimutuel Wagering
Surprisingly, Texas does allow residents to wager at horse and dog tracks in the state.
Horse Tracks
The horse tracks are broken down into Classes:
Class 1 horse tracks:
- Lone Star Park - Grand Prairie
- Retama Park - Selma
- Sam Houston Race Park - Houston
These tracks are allowed to host races as many times as they would like.
Class 2 horse tracks have yet to be built in Texas. Multiple tracks are in the works, and once open, will be permitted to host up to 60 race days a year.
Class 3 horse tracks:
- Gillespie County Fair - Fredericksburg
Currently, this is the only Class 3 horse track that operates in Texas. The Texas Racing Commission allows Class 3 tracks to host up to 16 race days a year.
There are no Class 4 horse tracks in Texas.
Greyhound Tracks
Texas has three greyhound tracks, as permitted by the Texas Racing Commission. Dog racing isn't nearly as popular as horse racing in the state, but still offers residents the chance to watchraces live or virtually. The most popular greyhound track is the Gulf Greyhound Park, located in La Marque.
Texas residents can also visit the following greyhound tracks:
- Valley Race Park - Harlingen
- Gulf Coast Racing - Corpus Christi
List of Land-Based Casinos In Texas
Shown below is a list of all casinos in Texas. Click on a casino name below to see a page of detailed information about all Texas casinos.
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel
- 794 Lucky Eagle Dr, Eagle Pass, TX 78852
- 1 830-773-2255
- Games: 3,000 slots and 1 poker room
Naskila Gaming
- 540 State Park Rd 56, Livingston, TX 77351
- 1 936-563-2946
- Games: 800 slots