Texas

Texas is one of the most restrictive gambling states, with legal gambling limited to the state lottery, charitable bingo and raffles, pari-mutuel racing and limited tribal gaming.
Sports betting, online casinos, online poker and commercial casinos have no statutory authorization and repeatedly failed in the legislature, most recently in 2025.
Fantasy sports, eight-liner skill games, sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets operate in legal gray zones.

More detail

Legal framework. The Texas Constitution requires the legislature to prohibit lotteries except where specifically authorized. Gambling is therefore legal only in narrow carve-outs.
Lottery. The state lottery is now run by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The Texas Lottery Commission was abolished effective 2025-09-01. SB 3070 abolished the Commission and transferred lottery and charitable-bingo administration to TDLR. This institutional overhaul is the dominant 2025-2026 story.
Lottery couriers. A separate courier crackdown (commission rule plus SB 28) sought to ban third-party lottery couriers like Jackpocket and Lotto.com. It triggered litigation.
Charitable gaming. Charitable bingo and raffles are legal.
Racing. Pari-mutuel racing is legal at licensed tracks.
Tribal gaming. Limited tribal gaming operates at three federally recognized tribes. Its scope remains disputed.
Sports betting and online casinos. Sports betting, igaming, online poker, and commercial casinos have no statutory authorization. They repeatedly failed to pass the legislature (most recently 2025).
Legal gray zones. DFS, "skill game" eight-liners, sweepstakes casinos, and prediction-market operators (e.g., Kalshi) all operate in unresolved legal gray zones. The Attorney General and local prosecutors police them inconsistently.

Reviewed Oct 11, 2026 · 43 sources

Legal status

LiveLegal, not launchedLimitedContestedProhibitedNot authorizedRepealedNA

Vertical	Status	Launched	Model	Details
Sports (online)	Not authorized			HJR 134/SJR 65 (sports-betting-only constitutional amendment) and HJR 137/SJR 82 (broader gambling/casino package) were filed in the 2025 (89th) session; none received a committee vote. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has repeatedly said the Senate lacks the Republican votes needed. Next regular session is 2027.[1],[2],[3]
Sports (retail)	Not authorized			No statute authorizes any form of sports wagering, retail or online, outside tribal Class II/III facilities. Penal Code Ch. 47 prohibits betting on the result of a game or contest absent an exception.[3]
Online casino	Not authorized			No igaming legislation advanced in 2025; tied to the same failed casino/gambling expansion push (HJR 137/SJR 82).[2]
Online poker	Not authorized			No statute authorizes online poker. Live poker exists only through the private-place social-gambling defense in Penal Code 47.02(b), including card rooms that structure themselves as members-only private clubs charging seat or membership fees rather than taking a cut of the pots.[3]
Commercial casinos	Not authorized			Texas has no licensed commercial casinos. HJR 137/SJR 82 (destination resort casinos) failed to advance in 2025.[2],[3]
Tribal casinos	Limited	Legalized Aug 16, 1987	Monopoly Tribal	Three federally recognized tribes: Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel, Eagle Pass, Class II, operating openly under IGRA/NIGC oversight); Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (Naskila Casino bingo-based Class II hall near Livingston, closed by federal court 1999-2002 then reopened as an electronic-bingo hall after a 2016 state-court ruling that bingo is not prohibited in Texas); Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Speaking Rock Entertainment Center, El Paso, offering Class II gaming since 2022). Both the Alabama-Coushatta and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribes are also subject to the 1987 Restoration Act, which bars gaming "prohibited by the laws of the State of Texas," creating decades of litigation over whether Class III-style gaming is allowed; the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 for the tribes in Ysleta del Sur Pueblo v. Texas (2022), holding that activities merely regulated (not prohibited) by Texas law are governed by IGRA, not the Restoration Act — but the decision did not fully resolve the dispute and litigation/legislative fixes (e.g. proposed federal bill to apply IGRA fully to the two tribes) remain pending.[4],[5],[6],[7]
Lottery	Live	May 29, 1992	Monopoly State	Authorized by the State Lottery Act (Government Code Ch. 466) following a 1991 constitutional amendment; lottery revenue initially went to the General Revenue Fund and was statutorily redirected to the Foundation School Fund by 1997 legislation. Administration transferred from the now-abolished Texas Lottery Commission to TDLR effective 2025-09-01 under SB 3070, which also requires a Sunset Advisory Commission review by the fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2029 (the lottery is automatically abolished on 2029-09-01 unless the Legislature continues it). Draw games include Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto Texas, Texas Two Step, Pick 3, Daily 4, Cash Five, All or Nothing, and Lone Star Lineup, plus scratch tickets. SB 3070 also set a 100-ticket-per-transaction purchase limit, enforceable as a Class B misdemeanor, amid the courier controversy. Tex. Gov't Code Ch. 466 (State Lottery Act); Tex. Const. art. III, § 47 (1991 amendment authorizing a state lottery as an exception to the general ban on lotteries) [8],[9],[10],[11]
iLottery	Not authorized			Texas does not sell lottery tickets online directly to consumers; only retail terminals and licensed couriers (now banned) provided any online-adjacent purchase path.[12]
Daily fantasy	Contested			Texas AG Ken Paxton's non-binding Opinion KP-0057 (issued 2016-01-19) concluded that paid, entry-fee daily fantasy sports leagues likely constitute illegal gambling under Penal Code 47.02, rejecting the "skill" defense because Texas law requires only partial chance. FanDuel suspended paid Texas operations in 2016; DraftKings disputed the opinion and continued operating. No court has ruled on the question and no statute has been enacted either way.[13],[14]
VGTs / VLTs	Not authorized			No statute authorizes VGTs/VLTs at bars, truck stops, or other non-casino, non-tribal locations. The closest analog, "eight-liner" amusement machines relying on the Penal Code 47.01(4)(B) noncash-prize exception, remains legally disputed: a Fort Worth appellate ruling held the exception itself unconstitutional, and local enforcement is inconsistent statewide.[14],[15]
Historical horse racing	Not authorized			HHR machines are not authorized under the Texas Racing Act. No legislation has been enacted to permit them, notwithstanding periodic industry proposals.[16]
Sweepstakes casinos	Contested			No Texas statute specifically names or bans dual-currency online sweepstakes casinos. Operators rely on the sweepstakes/no-purchase-necessary carve-out from the Penal Code 47.01 "bet" definition. The Legislature, not in session again until 2027, has not taken up the question, and the Attorney General has not sent a cease-and-desist letter to a sweepstakes casino operator, leaving the state's posture an unresolved gray zone with little to no enforcement to date — in contrast to the AG's enforcement history against storefront eight-liner and sweepstakes-parlor machines. Industry coverage as of October 2025 named Texas as a state where the AG could plausibly act under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (e.g., over "guaranteed win" marketing) before the Legislature reconvenes, but no such action had been reported as of October 2026.[17],[18],[19]
Prediction markets	Not authorized			Kalshi and similar CFTC-registered event-contract platforms offer sports and election contracts to Texas residents statewide on the theory that federal CFTC jurisdiction preempts state gambling law. Neither the Texas Racing Commission nor the Attorney General has sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter, sued it, or ruled against it, unlike Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Montana, Connecticut, and Tennessee, which have all sent cease-and-desist letters or sued. Texas sits in the Fifth Circuit, which had not ruled on Kalshi's CFTC-preemption theory as of October 2026.[20],[21]
Skill games	Contested			"Eight-liner" video slot-style machines rely on the Penal Code 47.01(4)(B) amusement exception (noncash prizes only, capped at the lesser of $5 or 10x the cost of play). AG Morales's 1998 Opinion DM-466 argued the exception is itself unconstitutional because the Texas Constitution bars the legislature from authorizing any lottery exception for small prizes. A Fort Worth Court of Appeals ruling on remand from the Texas Supreme Court's Rylie II decision held that eight-liner video machines relying on the exception are unconstitutional lotteries. SB 517 (2025, 89th session) sought to define "eight-liner" and create a clearer skill-based defense, following similar failed 2019 bills HB 1775/SB 376; it passed the Senate on 2025-05-08 but received no House committee vote before the session adjourned on 2025-06-02, so it did not become law. Enforcement (AG civil actions, local prosecutors) remains inconsistent statewide.[15],[14],[22]
Card rooms	Contested			No statute licenses card rooms. Operators rely on the Penal Code 47.02(b) "private place" social-gambling defense, structuring poker rooms as private membership clubs where the house allegedly takes no cut of pots (only membership/seat fees). Texas AG and local prosecutors (Dallas, Houston) have disputed this theory and brought enforcement actions against individual clubs; legality is litigated city-by-city and club-by-club rather than settled statewide.[3]
Lottery couriers	Prohibited	Legalized Feb 24, 2025		The Texas Lottery Commission first banned third-party courier sales by emergency rule effective 2025-02-24, prompting DraftKings/Jackpocket to suspend Texas operations; Lotto.com sued the commission (filed 2025-04-23), arguing the rule change violated rulemaking notice requirements and breached its prior arrangement with the agency. SB 3070, effective 2025-09-01, made the ban statutory: Tex. Gov't Code § 466.318 now makes it an offense to sell a lottery ticket to a Texas player by phone, app, or the internet, or to arrange for someone else to buy one for a player, and moved lottery oversight, including courier policy, to TDLR. A separate bill to ban couriers, SB 28, passed the Senate unanimously but died in a House committee without a floor vote.[23],[24],[11],[25]
Pick'em fantasy	Contested			Pick'em/player-vs-house products (e.g., PrizePicks, Underdog) operate in Texas without a state license, relying on the same skill-game arguments disputed by the 2016 AG opinion. No specific statute or enforcement action addresses pick'em formats as of 2026.[13]
Pari-mutuel	Live		Competitive	Authorized under the Texas Racing Act (Occupations Code Ch. 2021 et seq.), administered by the Texas Racing Commission. Licensed venues include Sam Houston Race Park (Houston), Lone Star Park (Grand Prairie), Retama Park (Selma/San Antonio), and the Gillespie County Fair & Festival (Fredericksburg) meet. Commercial greyhound racing has ended in Texas (no greyhound track is listed among current licensed venues).[26],[16],[27]
Advance deposit wagering	Live		Competitive	Simulcast and account/advance-deposit wagering on horse racing is conducted through the licensed racetracks and their wagering systems under Racing Commission rules; not available as a standalone statewide ADW platform outside track-affiliated systems.[26]
Charitable gaming	Live	Legalized Jan 1, 1981	Monopoly State	Bingo authorized under the Bingo Enabling Act (Occupations Code Ch. 2001); raffles authorized for qualified nonprofits under the Charitable Raffle Enabling Act. Regulation transferred from the Texas Lottery Commission to TDLR effective 2025-09-01 under SB 3070.[10],[8]
Esports betting	Not authorized			No statute distinguishes esports wagering from traditional sports wagering; it falls under the same general prohibition.[3]
Social casino	Live		Competitive	Texas Penal Code ch. 47 requires consideration (a bet of something of value) as an element of gambling; pure free-to-play social casino apps with no purchase requirement and no cash/prize redemption lack consideration and a redeemable prize. That distinguishes them from dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, where purchasable virtual currency can reintroduce consideration and whose legality remains disputed in Texas. No Texas statute, AG opinion, or enforcement action restricts true free-to-play social casino apps; treated as operational, consistent with this database's default for the vertical. Tex. Penal Code § 47.01 (bet/gambling definitions, requiring prize, chance, and consideration) [28]

Sports betting in Texas: status, tax rate, sportsbooks and bills →

Tax rates

No gaming taxes recorded.

Rules and requirements

Casinos

Number of commercial casinos/racinos operating: 0
Texas has no licensed commercial casinos.
[3]
Number of tribal gaming facilities: 3
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel (Eagle Pass), Naskila Casino (Livingston, Alabama-Coushatta), Speaking Rock Entertainment Center (El Paso, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo).
[5],[6],[7]
Number of federally recognized tribes with Class III compacts: 0
None of the three Texas tribes operates under a state Class III compact; Kickapoo and the other two tribes rely on NIGC-approved tribal gaming ordinances and, for Alabama-Coushatta/Ysleta del Sur, on the disputed 1987 Restoration Act framework rather than a negotiated state compact.
[4]

Legislation

Summary of significant pending gambling legislation this session: 2025 (89th) regular session ended 2025-06-02 with no sports-betting or casino bills advancing: HJR 134/SJR 65 (sports-betting-only constitutional amendment) and HJR 137/SJR 82 (broader gambling/destination-casino package) were filed but never received a committee vote, blocked principally by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's stated lack of Senate Republican support. SB 517 (eight-liner/skill-game definition) passed the Senate but died in the House without a committee vote; SB 28 (statutory lottery-courier ban) passed the Senate unanimously but died in a House committee, with its policy goal achieved instead through SB 3070, which was enacted. Next regular session: 2027.[2],[1],[22],[25]

Minimum age

Minimum age for charitable bingo/raffles: 18
A person younger than 18 may not play bingo unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
[31]
Minimum age to purchase lottery: 18[12]
Minimum age for pari-mutuel wagering: 21[32],[33]?
Typical minimum age at tribal casinos (per compact): 21
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel and Naskila Gaming both set 21 as the minimum age for their casino floors; Kickapoo's bingo hall and hotel slot room admit patrons at 18. Neither tribe operates under a state compact, so this reflects each tribe's own posted policy rather than a single statewide rule.
[34],[35]

Notes

Free-text notes that fit no other field: Texas Constitution Art. III, Sec. 47 requires the legislature to "pass laws prohibiting lotteries and gift enterprises" except for specifically authorized carve-outs (state lottery, charitable bingo/raffles, pari-mutuel racing) — this is the root constitutional barrier behind the state's restrictive posture across every other vertical.[15]

Prediction markets

Summary of the state's action against sports event contracts (C&D: Neither the Texas Racing Commission nor the Attorney General has sent a cease-and-desist letter to, sued, or ruled against Kalshi or similar CFTC-registered platforms, unlike numerous other states; AG Ken Paxton has stayed out of multistate AG coalitions opposing Kalshi and has received campaign contributions tied to the company.[20],[21]

Skill games

Summary of skill-game legal status/litigation: Eight-liner machines rely on the Penal Code 47.01(4)(B) "amusement"/noncash-prize exception; AG Opinion DM-466 (1998) argued the exception is unconstitutional, and a Fort Worth Court of Appeals ruling on remand from Texas Supreme Court's Rylie II held such machines are unconstitutional lotteries. SB 517 (2025) passed the Senate but died in the House without a committee vote, so its clearer statutory skill-game defense did not become law. Enforcement is inconsistent and local.[15],[22]

Sports betting rules

Wagering on college sports allowed at all: No
Not applicable — no sports wagering of any kind is authorized in Texas.
[3]
Wagering on in-state college teams allowed: No
Not applicable — no sports wagering of any kind, including on in-state college teams, is authorized in Texas.
[3]
Credit cards may be used to fund accounts: No
Not applicable — no legal sports wagering market exists.
[3]
Esports wagering allowed: No
Not applicable — esports wagering falls under the same general prohibition as traditional sports wagering; no statute distinguishes it.
[3]

Sweepstakes

Statute or regulator action specifically bans dual-currency online sweepstakes casinos: No
Texas has not enacted a statute or taken regulator/AG action specifically banning dual-currency sweepstakes casinos; industry coverage flags the state as a likely future target for AG action under consumer-protection law, but none had been reported as of October 2026.
[17],[19]

Tax revenue

Where gaming tax revenue goes (education fund: Texas Lottery net proceeds are statutorily dedicated mostly to the Foundation School Fund (public education), with a smaller share tied to the Veterans' Assistance scratch game going to the Fund for Veterans' Assistance; in FY2026 that was $1.82 billion to education and $31.7 million to the Texas Veterans Commission. Charitable bingo/raffle proceeds must go to the sponsoring nonprofit organization's charitable purposes under the Bingo Enabling Act and Charitable Raffle Enabling Act.[30],[29]

Lottery

Status: Live · Monopoly State
Notes
Authorized by the State Lottery Act (Government Code Ch. 466) following a 1991 constitutional amendment; lottery revenue initially went to the General Revenue Fund and was statutorily redirected to the Foundation School Fund by 1997 legislation. Administration transferred from the now-abolished Texas Lottery Commission to TDLR effective 2025-09-01 under SB 3070, which also requires a Sunset Advisory Commission review by the fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2029 (the lottery is automatically abolished on 2029-09-01 unless the Legislature continues it). Draw games include Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto Texas, Texas Two Step, Pick 3, Daily 4, Cash Five, All or Nothing, and Lone Star Lineup, plus scratch tickets. SB 3070 also set a 100-ticket-per-transaction purchase limit, enforceable as a Class B misdemeanor, amid the courier controversy.
[8],[9],[10],[11]
Authorized: Aug 26, 1991
Tex. Gov't Code Ch. 466 (State Lottery Act); Tex. Const. art. III, § 47 (1991 amendment authorizing a state lottery as an exception to the general ban on lotteries)
First tickets sold: May 29, 1992
Run by: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (Texas Lottery & Charitable Bingo)
Minimum age: 18[12]
Multistate games: Powerball, Mega Millions[9]
Where the money goes: Under Tex. Gov't Code § 466.355, the lottery account first covers prizes, administrative costs (capped at 12% of biennial ticket revenue), and reserves; of what remains, the portion tied to the Veterans' Assistance scratch game goes to the Fund for Veterans' Assistance (Gov't Code § 434.017), and the rest goes to the Foundation School Fund for public education, under the State Lottery Act (Gov't Code Ch. 466). The Foundation School Fund dedication was added by 1997 legislation; before that, lottery revenue went to the General Revenue Fund. In FY2026 the Lottery transferred $1.82 billion to the Foundation School Fund and $31.7 million to the Texas Veterans Commission; this is separate from the General Revenue Fund and includes no sports-betting or casino earmark, since Texas has not legalized either.[29],[30]
Online sales (iLottery): Not authorized
Texas does not sell lottery tickets online directly to consumers; only retail terminals and licensed couriers (now banned) provided any online-adjacent purchase path.
[12]
Courier services: Prohibited
Notes
The Texas Lottery Commission first banned third-party courier sales by emergency rule effective 2025-02-24, prompting DraftKings/Jackpocket to suspend Texas operations; Lotto.com sued the commission (filed 2025-04-23), arguing the rule change violated rulemaking notice requirements and breached its prior arrangement with the agency. SB 3070, effective 2025-09-01, made the ban statutory: Tex. Gov't Code § 466.318 now makes it an offense to sell a lottery ticket to a Texas player by phone, app, or the internet, or to arrange for someone else to buy one for a player, and moved lottery oversight, including courier policy, to TDLR. A separate bill to ban couriers, SB 28, passed the Senate unanimously but died in a House committee without a floor vote.
[23],[24],[11],[25]

Lottery sales and money kept by the stateState fiscal years

SalesKept by the state

$5.0B$10.0BFY2012FY2015FY2018FY2021FY2024$8.4B$2.1B

Online sports betting, online casino and online poker have not been legalized.

Yearly figures

Fiscal year	Sales	Prizes	Administration	Kept by the state	Prize share
FY2024	$8.4B	$5.7B	$682M	$2.1B	67%
FY2023	$8.7B	$5.8B	$699M	$2.2B	67%
FY2022	$8.3B	$5.6B	$686M	$2.0B	67%
FY2021	$7.7B	$5.4B	$268M	$2.0B	71%
FY2020	$6.4B	$4.4B	$240M	$1.7B	70%
FY2019	$5.9B	$4.1B	$235M	$1.6B	69%
FY2018	$5.3B	$3.7B	$190M	$1.5B	69%
FY2017	$4.8B	$3.3B	$201M	$1.3B	68%
FY2016	$4.8B	$3.2B	$205M	$1.4B	66%
FY2015	$4.3B	$2.9B	$191M	$1.2B	67%
FY2014	$4.1B	$2.7B	$185M	$1.2B	66%
FY2013	$4.1B	$2.8B	$182M	$1.2B	67%
FY2012	$4.0B	$2.6B	$169M	$1.2B	66%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Finances

Lottery timeline

Sep 1, 2025 · Other · Lottery
SB 3070 takes effect, abolishing the Texas Lottery Commission and transferring lottery and charitable-bingo administration to TDLR[10],[11],[8]
Sep 1, 2025 · Prohibited · Lottery couriers
SB 3070 makes the lottery-courier ban statutory, superseding the commission's emergency rule[11]
New Tex. Gov't Code § 466.318 makes it an offense to sell a lottery ticket to a Texas player online or by phone/app, or to arrange for someone else to buy one for a player.
Sep 1, 2025 · Restricted · Lottery
Texas Lottery imposes 100-ticket-per-transaction purchase limit[12],[11]
Jun 2, 2025 · Other · Lottery couriers
SB 28, which would have statutorily banned lottery couriers, dies in a House committee as the 89th Legislature adjourns[25]
Passed the Senate unanimously on 2025-02-27 but received no House floor vote; its policy goal was achieved instead through SB 3070.
Apr 23, 2025 · Court Ruling · Lottery couriers
Lotto.com sues Texas Lottery Commission over courier ban rulemaking process[23]
Feb 27, 2025 · Other · Lottery couriers
Texas Senate unanimously passes SB 28 to statutorily ban lottery couriers[36]
Feb 24, 2025 · Prohibited · Lottery couriers
Texas Lottery Commission adopts emergency rule banning third-party lottery courier sales[24]
Prompted DraftKings/Jackpocket to suspend Texas courier operations.
May 29, 1992 · Launched · Lottery
Texas Lottery begins ticket sales[10]
Aug 26, 1991 · Legalized · Lottery
Texas voters approve constitutional amendment authorizing a state lottery[10]

Casinos

3 properties open.

Property	Type	City	Operator	Opened	Hotel
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel Original modular facility replaced in October 2004 with a 100,000 sq ft casino and arena. [40],[41]	Tribal casino	Eagle Pass	Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas	1996	Yes
Naskila Casino Also marketed as Naskila Gaming; over 790 electronic bingo games in a 30,000+ sq ft facility. Closed 2002-2016 amid litigation, then reopened, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2022. [40],[42]	Tribal casino	Livingston	Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas	2001
Speaking Rock Entertainment Center Also hosts live concerts, a restaurant and bars; closed 2002-2015/2016 amid litigation, then reopened Class II bingo-style casino gaming, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2022. [40],[43]	Tribal casino	El Paso	Ysleta del Sur Pueblo	1993

Tribal gaming

Tribal gaming revenue in the NIGC Oklahoma City Region

NIGC Oklahoma City RegionFederal fiscal years

$2.0B$4.0BFY2019FY2021FY2023FY2025$3.7B

The National Indian Gaming Commission reports revenue only by region. This region also includes Oklahoma. The region covers western Oklahoma only.[39]

Economy

Adults 21 and over: 22.3M (2024; 31.3M residents)
Gambling taxes collected: $36.4M in FY2025 · 0.04% of all state taxes
Gambling jobs: 4,466 in 2025 · $38,018 average annual pay
Undercount: the Bureau of Labor Statistics withholds some figures to protect individual employers.

Gambling taxes collectedState fiscal years

Gambling taxesLottery proceeds

$1.0B$2.0B$3.0BFY2013FY2016FY2019FY2022FY2025$36.4M$2.1B

Census Bureau tax collections on amusements and pari-mutuel wagering. Most states book casino, sports betting and video gaming taxes here; amusement taxes can also include admissions taxes unrelated to gambling. Lottery proceeds are what the lottery transfers to the state after prizes and costs.

Gambling jobsAnnual average

2,0004,0006,0002015201720192021202320254,466

Casinos, casino hotels, card rooms, bingo halls, off-track betting and slot-route operators, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Racetracks are not included. Jobs at tribal casinos are counted as government jobs.

Gambling jobs by industry, 2025

Industry	Ownership	Employers	Jobs	Average pay
Gambling industries	tribal and other government-owned		withheld
Gambling industries	privately owned	258	4,274	$37,905
Casino hotels	tribal and other government-owned		withheld
Casino hotels	privately owned	17	192	$40,631

Taxes by fiscal year

Fiscal year	Amusement taxes	Pari-mutuel taxes	Share of state taxes	Lottery proceeds
FY2025	$32.4M	$4.0M	0.04%	—
FY2024	$30.2M	$4.2M	0.04%	$2.1B
FY2023	$30.1M	$4.9M	0.04%	$2.2B
FY2022	$31.6M	$5.1M	0.04%	$2.0B
FY2021	$30.4M	$5.0M	0.05%	$2.0B
FY2020	$31.4M	$4.2M	0.06%	$1.7B
FY2019	$47.7M	$6.0M	0.08%	$1.6B
FY2018	$46.4M	$6.5M	0.09%	$1.5B
FY2017	$48.2M	$6.3M	0.10%	$1.3B
FY2016	$49.7M	$7.0M	0.11%	$1.4B

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 Population Estimates: Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, States (NST-EST2025-ALLDATA); U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC): Historical Dataset; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 7132 (Gambling industries)

Timeline

Sep 1, 2025 · Other · Lottery
SB 3070 takes effect, abolishing the Texas Lottery Commission and transferring lottery and charitable-bingo administration to TDLR[10],[11],[8]
SB 3070, 89th Leg., R.S. (2025)
Sep 1, 2025 · Prohibited · Lottery couriers
SB 3070 makes the lottery-courier ban statutory, superseding the commission's emergency rule[11]
New Tex. Gov't Code § 466.318 makes it an offense to sell a lottery ticket to a Texas player online or by phone/app, or to arrange for someone else to buy one for a player.
SB 3070, 89th Leg., R.S. (2025), § 37 (adding Gov't Code § 466.318)
Sep 1, 2025 · Restricted · Lottery
Texas Lottery imposes 100-ticket-per-transaction purchase limit[12],[11]
SB 3070, 89th Leg., R.S. (2025), § 32 (adding Gov't Code § 466.255)
Jun 2, 2025 · Other · Lottery couriers
SB 28, which would have statutorily banned lottery couriers, dies in a House committee as the 89th Legislature adjourns[25]
Passed the Senate unanimously on 2025-02-27 but received no House floor vote; its policy goal was achieved instead through SB 3070.
Jun 2, 2025 · Other · Skill games
SB 517, which would have defined "eight-liner" and created a clearer skill-game defense, dies in the House as the 89th Legislature adjourns[22]
Passed the Senate on 2025-05-08 but received no House committee vote.
Jun 2, 2025 · Other · Sports (online)
89th Texas Legislature adjourns without advancing sports-betting or casino constitutional amendments (HJR 134/SJR 65, HJR 137/SJR 82)[2]
Apr 23, 2025 · Court Ruling · Lottery couriers
Lotto.com sues Texas Lottery Commission over courier ban rulemaking process[23]
Feb 27, 2025 · Other · Lottery couriers
Texas Senate unanimously passes SB 28 to statutorily ban lottery couriers[36]
Feb 24, 2025 · Prohibited · Lottery couriers
Texas Lottery Commission adopts emergency rule banning third-party lottery courier sales[24]
Prompted DraftKings/Jackpocket to suspend Texas courier operations.
Jun 2, 2023 · Other · Sports (online)
88th Texas Legislature adjourns without Senate vote on House-passed sports betting referendum (HJR 102) or online bill (HB 1942)[37]
Jun 15, 2022 · Court Ruling · Tribal casinos
U.S. Supreme Court rules 5-4 for tribes in Ysleta del Sur Pueblo v. Texas[4],[6]
Held that gaming activities merely regulated (not flatly prohibited) under Texas law are governed by IGRA rather than the Restoration Act's stricter standard; vacated and remanded the Fifth Circuit's contrary ruling on the Alabama-Coushatta bingo hall.
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo v. Texas, 596 U.S. 232 (2022)
Jan 1, 2022 · Launched · Tribal casinos
Speaking Rock Entertainment Center (Ysleta del Sur Pueblo) begins offering Class II gaming[7]
Mar 1, 2016 · Restricted · Daily fantasy
FanDuel suspends paid daily fantasy operations in Texas following AG opinion[38]
Jan 19, 2016 · Other · Daily fantasy
AG Paxton issues Opinion KP-0057 concluding paid DFS leagues are likely illegal gambling[13]
Jan 1, 2016 · Court Ruling · Tribal casinos
Texas state court rules Alabama-Coushatta electronic bingo hall does not violate Texas law because bingo is not prohibited in Texas[6]
Jan 1, 1999 · Enforcement Action · Tribal casinos
Federal court orders closure of Alabama-Coushatta entertainment center/casino[6]
Followed a 1999 state lawsuit; the tribe's casino-style entertainment center had operated roughly nine months.
Jan 1, 1998 · Court Ruling · Skill games
AG Opinion DM-466 argues the Penal Code amusement/eight-liner exception is unconstitutional[15]
May 29, 1992 · Launched · Lottery
Texas Lottery begins ticket sales[10]
Aug 26, 1991 · Legalized · Lottery
Texas voters approve constitutional amendment authorizing a state lottery[10]
Aug 16, 1987 · Other · Tribal casinos
Ysleta del Sur and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act enacted[7]
Restored federal recognition for both tribes but barred gaming "prohibited by the laws of the State of Texas," seeding decades of litigation over tribal gaming scope.
Pub. L. 100-89

Regulators

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (Texas Lottery & Charitable Bingo) — Lottery, iLottery, Lottery couriers, Charitable gaming
Texas Racing Commission — Pari-mutuel, Advance deposit wagering, Historical horse racing
· License list
Office of the Texas Attorney General — Daily fantasy, Pick'em fantasy, Skill games, Sweepstakes casinos, Prediction markets, Card rooms
Texas Legislature — Sports (online), Sports (retail), Online casino, Commercial casinos

Sources

Texas Sports Betting: Latest News on Texas Sportsbooks Launching · RotoWire · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary tracker summarizing the 2025 (89th) session's failed sports-betting resolutions (HJR 134/SJR 65) and the bills' lack of committee votes.
Sports betting legalization continues to face resistance in Texas · Spectrum News / Spectrum Local News · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only; covers the 2025 session's failed gambling bills (HJR 134/SJR 65, HJR 137/SJR 82) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's opposition.
Texas Penal Code § 47.02 — Gambling · FindLaw (mirroring Texas statute text) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary mirror of primary statute text.
“the actor engaged in gambling in a private place;”
Divided Supreme Court Says Texas Cannot Regulate Tribe's Electronic Bingo · Snell & Wilmer (law firm tracker) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only, summarizing Ysleta del Sur Pueblo v. Texas, 596 U.S. 232 (2022); primary SCOTUS opinion not independently re-fetched in this session.
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only.
“Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel, which provides Class II gaming”
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only.
“The judge ruled in favor of the tribe because bingo is not prohibited in Texas.”
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only.
“specifically prohibited all gaming activities prohibited by the laws of the state of Texas”
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — homepage · Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“The Texas Lottery and Charitable Bingo programs are now part of TDLR.”
Texas Lottery — Games · Texas Lottery / TDLR · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Powerball® Mega Millions® Lotto Texas®”
SB 3070 — House Committee Report text, 89th Legislature · Texas Legislature Online · bill · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
This committee-report draft's 2027 sunset date was later changed to 2029 before passage; see sb3070-enrolled-text for the enacted figure.
“Unless continued in existence, the state lottery is abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2027.”
SB 3070 — Enrolled (final, as signed) bill text, 89th Legislature · Texas Legislature Online · bill · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
Enacted version; supersedes the 2027 date in the earlier House committee report (sb3070-house-text). Also confirmed verbatim in this pass: new Gov't Code § 466.318 ("A person may not by telephone or through an Internet application...") criminalizing online/courier ticket sales, and § 466.255 ("A person may not sell to one individual more than 100 lottery tickets in a single transaction," a Class B misdemeanor).
“Unless continued in existence, the state lottery is abolished and this chapter expires September 1, 2029.”
Texas Lottery — homepage · Texas Lottery / TDLR · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Must be 18 years or older to purchase a ticket.”
Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. No. KP-0057 (Jan. 19, 2016) — The legality of fantasy sports leagues under Texas law · Texas Attorney General (Ken Paxton) · ag opinion · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Fixed on audit: the official PDF (previously returning 402/403 to plain WebFetch) was successfully fetched via gld.fetch/curl_cffi and read in full, replacing the ESPN secondary citation. Summary: paid DFS is likely illegal gambling under Penal Code § 47.02 because the outcome depends partially on chance (Texas uses a "partial chance" standard, not predominant-purpose); the actual-contestant exclusion (§47.01(1)(B)) does not cover DFS entrants. Traditional (non-DFS) season-long fantasy leagues are also technically "illegal gambling" under the same section but have a private-place/no-rake/ equal-odds affirmative defense under §47.02(b) that daily/rake-taking DFS cannot use.
“a court would likely determine that participation in daily fantasy sports leagues is illegal gambling under section 47.02 of the Penal Code”
Texas Penal Code § 47.01 — Definitions (Gambling) · FindLaw (mirroring Texas statute text) · statute · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary mirror of primary statute text; official site (statutes.capitol.texas.gov) did not render full text via automated fetch.
“designed, made, and adapted solely for bona fide amusement purposes”
Fuzzy Animals, Zeros and Ones: Eight-Liners and the Gambling Debate in Texas · Texas House Research Organization · government other · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Chapter 47 of the Penal Code explicitly prohibits gambling-device versions of bingo, keno, blackjack, lottery, roulette, and video poker.”
Texas Racing Commission — Race Parks & County Fairs · Texas Racing Commission · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“Sam Houston Race Park”
Sweepstakes Casino Texas 2026: Operator Compliance Guide · Track360 (industry compliance tracker) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only.
“is not a signal of regulatory acceptance”
Texas sweepstakes operate in legal grey zone amid gambling restrictions · The Daily Texan · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Cited per search-result summary describing little to no state enforcement against sweepstakes casinos as of December 2025; page not independently re-fetched in full.
Texas AG sweepstakes casino crackdown · CasinoBeats · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
Secondary industry source; describes possible future AG enforcement under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act but reports no cease-and-desist or lawsuit filed as of October 2025.
Kalshi fights to offer sports prediction markets · Gaming Intelligence · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary source only; documents cease-and-desist/litigation pattern against Kalshi in Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Montana, Connecticut, and Tennessee. No Texas-specific action found in available sources.
Texas AG Paxton Silent On Prediction Markets Amid Kalshi Donations · Legal Sports Report · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
Secondary source; reports Paxton has stayed out of multistate AG action against Kalshi and has accepted campaign contributions connected to the company.
SB 517, 89th Legislature — bill history · Texas Legislature Online · bill · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
No House committee action is recorded after the House received the bill on 2025-05-08; it did not pass before the session adjourned 2025-06-02.
“Received from the Senate”
Lotto.com sues Texas Lottery Commission over courier ban · Texas Public Radio · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“In return, the Commission changed rules on the fly and without due process.”
Texas Lottery Commission passes ban on purchasing lotto tickets through online courier services · KERA News · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Page redirected to publisher's general news section on retrieval; cited for the headline claim per search-result summary, corroborated by companion keranews.org Senate-vote article.
SB 28, 89th Legislature — bill history · Texas Legislature Online · bill · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Left pending in committee”
Texas Racing Commission — homepage · Texas Racing Commission · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“protect the safety and integrity of the sport of pari-mutuel horse racing in Texas”
Texas Racing Commission — Licensing · Texas Racing Commission · regulator page · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
“ENTERING A HORSE IN A RACE”
Online Gambling Laws in Texas · Sharp Criminal Attorney (secondary legal-marketing source) · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
secondary source only; summarizes Penal Code ch. 47's prize/chance/consideration test and the social-gambling defense's strict conditions.
Tex. Gov't Code § 466.355 — Use of Lottery Account · Texas Government Code (public.law mirror) · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“the remainder to the foundation school fund”
Texas Lottery — Supporting Education and Veterans · Texas Lottery / TDLR · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Since 1997, the Texas Lottery has contributed more than $37.3 billion to the Foundation School Fund.”
Texas Bingo — Players · Texas Lottery / TDLR (Charitable Bingo) · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“A person younger than 18 years of age may not play bingo unless accompanied by the individual's parent or guardian.”
Tex. Occ. Code § 2027.101 — Rules Prohibiting Wagering by Minor and Viewing by Unaccompanied Child · FindLaw (mirroring Texas statute text) · statute · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
Delegates the numeric minimum age to Racing Commission rule rather than stating it in the statute itself.
“The commission shall adopt rules to prohibit...wagering by a minor”
Texas Horse Racing · BettingUSA · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
Secondary source only, for the specific minimum-age number that the statute itself delegates to Racing Commission rule.
“Guests must be 21 or older”
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel — official site · Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Casino (Slot Machines, Table Games, Keno): 21 years or older”
Naskila Gaming — official site · Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas · regulator page · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Must be 21 years or older to enter Naskila Casino.”
Bill banning lottery couriers quickly passes Texas Senate · KERA News · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Cited per search-result summary for the Senate's unanimous February 2025 passage of SB 28; page not independently re-fetched in full.
Dan The Ban: Texas Sports Betting Faces Familiar Foe · Legal Sports Report · secondary · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary tracker covering the 88th Legislature's (2023) failed sports-betting bills and Lt. Gov. Patrick's blocking role.
Texas declares daily fantasy games illegal, saying it's prohibited gambling · ESPN · press · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Secondary corroboration for the 2016-03-01 FanDuel suspension date; primary legal analysis now sourced to tx-kp-0057.
NIGC FY 2025 Gross Gaming Revenue Report · National Indian Gaming Commission · regulator report · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“FY 2025’s GGR of $46.2 billion marks the highest ever GGR for the Indian gaming industry.”
Gambling in Texas · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Each of Texas's three federally recognized tribes operates a casino... Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that the language of the Restoration Act allowed the tribes to offer bingo games free of state regulation, allowing the casinos to remain open.”
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Tribal enterprises include the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel, which provides Class II gaming.”
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“Naskila Casino... comprises over 790 bingo games in an over 30,000-square-foot facility... On June 15, 2022, the court sided with both tribes in a 5-4 ruling.”
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo · Wikipedia · secondary · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
“The Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso features live concerts, a restaurant, a cafe, and bars. Originally called the Speaking Rock Casino, the center has had Class II casino gaming since 2022.”