Legal Online Football Betting In Texas

The Lone Star State is home to one of the most beloved and famous NFL football teams, the Dallas Cowboys, who probably also can boast the most popular cheerleader squad as well. The state also hosts the Houston Texans NFL team and supports a substantial number of collegiate football programs. You’d expect a solid number of football teams in a state the size of Texas, and they do not disappoint.

A little further down on this page we will provide a list of some of these teams, as well as access to their official websites. This guide will provide information for you concerning your legal options for accessing and participating in legal football betting in Texas, and which online sportsbooks are worthy of your business.

Our objective in creating this site is to assist Texas bettors in determining their best course of action for pursuing Texas online sports betting options that are legal and reputable, empowering you to make informed decisions based on clear, concise and accurate information that is up to date and fact based. Included in our football section are also some betting guides on specific teams in the Lone Star State including:

NFL Teams To Bet On In Texas

NCAAF College Football Teams to Bet On In Texas

Reliable and Trustworthy Texas Football Betting Sites Ranked For 2025

SportsbookBonus Offer5 Star RatingU.S. Friendly?Visit Link
Bovada Sportsbook50% Max $2504.8USAPlay Now
Betus Logo100% Max $2,5004.6USAPlay Now
Mybookie Sportsbook50% Max $1,0004.3USAPlay Now
Betonline Sportsbook50% Max $1,0004.1USAPlay Now

Is it legal to bet on football in Texas?

This is the first and one of the most important questions you should ask before engaging in any type of online gambling, including betting on football or any other sports. At this time, it is not legal to operate an online gambling site of any kind within the state of Texas, which effectively rules out any type of state regulated online football betting. There are also not any brick and mortar options for legally betting on football in Texas. However, this does not mean that bettors here are left out in the cold.

There are a number of legally licensed and certified online football betting sites that are regulated and located outside of the United States, and which legally provide their services to United States bettors, including those hailing from Texas. There are no state or federal laws which prohibit players from participating in offshore sports betting that is offered by a sportsbook that is legally operating within the industry. It is legal to engage in responsible football betting at these types of legitimate online sports betting sites.

Are all licensed offshore football betting sites reputable?

I’m sorry to say that the answer to this question is a resounding no. Actually, a ‘hell no’ may be more appropriate here. All online sports wagering sites are not created equal. While there are some stellar operations out there, such as the ones we recommend in this guide, there are also a number of predatory and simply low quality options as well. Determining the good from the bad is not as easy as you might think due to savvy web design that can easily portray a questionable gambling site as a high professional one, with very few tells to expose what they really are until they’ve successfully stolen your money or identity.

Our team of analysts is trained to recognize these red flags and has placed each eligible online football betting site through an intense review process to eliminate the undesirable brands and reveal the top shelf, high quality options. We have included the most trusted and reputable brands here in this guide, and have personally vetted each of them.

What federal laws prevent US based online football betting from being offered?

There are a few federal statutes that interfere with the legality of state regulated online sports betting. One is the Federal Wire Act. The DOJ has determined that this law applies only to sports betting, and that it prohibits any wagers being placed through electronic means, such as the phone or Internet. Many argue their position on this law and it is being challenged as we write this. Another is PASPA, a law passed in 1992 that makes US based sports betting illegal except in a few destinations which were grandfathered in.

This law is currently being challenged by the state of New Jersey as unconstitutional. Should they be successful in their attempt to move in this direction, things may change drastically where legal US based football betting is concerned.

Lastly, there is the UIGEA bill, which actually has no bearing on bettor or player participation when it comes to online gambling. The law provides regulatory oversight to how online gambling transactions can be processed, and is directed solely at online gambling site operators and payment processors, not at participants. None of these federal laws make it illegal to participate in legally licensed and regulated offshore Internet sportsbooks.

Can I bet on Texas football teams at legal online sportsbooks?

Yes you can. The sportsbook brands included in this guide offer a wide range of betting lines and wagering options, and they all include NFL and college football lines. Several also include multiple European football leagues too. Following is a listing of the state’s professional NFL teams and some of the most prominent Texas college football teams.

Texas Professional NFL Football Teams

Texas NCAAF College Football Teams

  • Baylor Bears – Baylor University
  • Houston Cougars – University of Houston
  • Midwestern State Mustangs – Midwestern State University
  • Prairie View A & M Panthers – Prairie View A & M University
  • Rice Owls – Rice University
  • Texas A&M – Texas A&M University
  • Texas State Bobcats – Texas State University
  • Texas El Paso Miners – University of Texas El Paso
  • Texas Longhorns – University of Texas at Austin
  • Texas Southern Tigers – Texas Southern University
  • Texas Tech Red Raiders – Texas Tech

Texas Football News Headlines & Articles

TCU Proved They Belonged in CFP With an Impressive Victory In 2014 Peach Bowl Game

Baylor Bears Defeated by 4th Quarter Comeback by Michigan State in 2015 Cotton Bowl