Quick answer: Texas has no state-licensed sportsbook, so Texans who bet online almost always use offshore sportsbooks — betting sites based and licensed outside the United States. As of August 2026, the offshore books Daily Wager Zone tracks that commonly take Texas sign-ups are BetOnline, Bovada, MyBookie, BetUS, BetNow and Everygame. These sites sit outside U.S. licensing and consumer protections. Nobody in Texas regulates them and nobody guarantees your payout. Confirm a site accepts Texas players, and check current bonus terms in the cashier, before you deposit.
Last updated August 25, 2026 · By Jake Mercer
Texas is the second-biggest state in the country and it still has no legal betting app. Lawmakers came close in 2025, then stopped. So Texas fans who want to bet the Cowboys, the Longhorns or the Astros end up on offshore sites instead.
This page shows which offshore sportsbooks take Texas players, what each is good at, and what can go wrong. Every bonus below was read off the operator’s own page in August 2026, and offers rotate fast, so verify each one yourself. For the legal background, read our Texas sports betting guide for 2026.
Key Takeaways
- No legal Texas sportsbook exists. There is no state-licensed online or retail sportsbook in Texas as of August 2026.
- 2025 went nowhere. House Joint Resolution 134, a proposed constitutional amendment, created nothing. The Legislature meets in odd-numbered years, so 2027 is the next regular chance.
- Offshore books are unregulated in the U.S. They sit outside U.S. licensing and consumer protections. That is the trade-off, and it is not small.
- Our approved board for Texas, in order: BetOnline, Bovada, MyBookie, BetUS, BetNow, Everygame.
- Crypto is the workhorse. Bitcoin and other digital coins are the most reliable way to deposit and get paid. Cards often get declined.
- Winnings are taxable. The IRS counts gambling wins as income wherever the site is based, and offshore books send no tax form.
Trust & Authority
Daily Wager Zone is an independent betting resource. This Texas guide was researched from the Texas State Law Library’s gambling guide, Texas Penal Code Chapter 47, official 2025 bill history from the Texas Legislature, Texas Tribune reporting, the operators’ own bonus and banking pages, IRS gambling-income guidance, and an FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center warning about offshore sportsbooks. We have not opened accounts or tested withdrawals at these sites. We do not accept payment to recommend sportsbooks.
Affiliate Disclosure: Daily Wager Zone may earn a commission if you sign up through our links, at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our analysis or our rankings.
Why Texas Players Use Offshore Sportsbooks
The short version: there is nothing legal to use. Texas has not licensed a single sportsbook, online or in person. No app to download, no betting window to walk up to.
What Texas law actually says
Texas is one of the strictest gambling states in the country. The Texas State Law Library’s gambling guide explains why. The state constitution bans most gambling, and Texas Penal Code Chapter 47 is the criminal law behind it. Only a few things are carved out:
- The Texas Lottery
- Charitable bingo and raffles
- Pari-mutuel wagering on horse and greyhound racing — betting into a shared pool at a licensed track
- Casino gaming on tribal land, governed by federal rather than state law
Sports betting is not on that list. Daily fantasy sports still operates in Texas, but its legal footing has been questioned since a non-binding 2016 state attorney general opinion. Fantasy contests and prediction markets are different products from a sportsbook. Do not treat either as proof that sports betting is allowed.
The 2025 session and the 2027 window
In 2025, lawmakers filed House Joint Resolution 134, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have let Texas authorize sports wagering. No regulated Texas market came out of it, and no sports-betting framework took effect. The Texas Tribune reported in March 2025 that House Republicans were largely opposed, and that Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick — who controls what moves in the Senate — was against it. Tribune reporting in March 2026 said Patrick remained a vocal critic.
The Texas Legislature only holds regular sessions in odd-numbered years. That makes 2027 the next normal opportunity. Even then, sports betting here needs a constitutional amendment, so voters would also have to approve it. Nobody should assume a date. Our Texas legislative update tracks where things stand.
What “offshore” means, and what it does not
An offshore sportsbook is a betting site registered and licensed in another country. It is not licensed by Texas or by any U.S. state. That is the whole point of the label. These sites sit outside U.S. licensing and consumer protections, so no American regulator stands behind your account balance.
People ask constantly whether using one gets you in trouble. Honest answer: in our research we found no credible, recent Texas case prosecuting an individual only for placing a bet at an offshore sportsbook. Not finding a case does not prove none exists, and it is not a green light. We are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. Offshore betting is not legal sports betting in Texas, and we are not calling it risk-free.
In December 2025 the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center warned that offshore sportsbooks may lack U.S. licensing and consumer protections, and that bettors face financial and account risks there. That warning is about your money, not just the law.
Our Top Offshore Sportsbooks for Texas Players
Two words to know first. A welcome bonus is extra betting money a site adds to your first deposit. A rollover, also called playthrough, is how many times you must bet an amount before bonus money can be withdrawn. A 5× rollover on $100 means $500 in total bets first. Rollover is where most bonuses catch people, so read it before the headline number.
| Sportsbook | Welcome Bonus | Rollover | Crypto? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. BetOnline | Up to $250 in free bets + 100 free spins | Free-bet terms apply — check offer page | ✅ Yes | Best overall, early lines |
| 2. Bovada | 75% crypto match up to $750, or 50% up to $250 by card | 5× | ✅ Yes | Mobile betting and player props |
| 3. MyBookie | 100% crypto match up to $1,000 (code 200MYB, $50 min) | Check current terms | ✅ Yes | NFL and college football |
| 4. BetUS | 125% up to $3,125 (code JOIN125, $100 min) | 14× sports / 30× casino | ✅ Yes | Biggest headline bonus |
| 5. BetNow | Up to 125% welcome, $20 min | 25× on the posted offer | ✅ Yes | Small bankrolls |
| 6. Everygame | 100% up to $500 (code WELCOME500, $50 min) | 12× | ✅ Yes | Long-running site, low stakes |
All figures above are as of August 2026; verify current terms at the sportsbook. Codes, maximums and accepted states change often, and no site promises to accept every Texas sign-up. You can also compare live offers on our current sportsbook promos page.
1. BetOnline — our top pick
BetOnline is where we point most Texas bettors first. It covers the widest range of sports on this list, and it posts lines early — odds appear days before some rivals do. One account also holds a casino, poker room and horse racebook. Its current headline is the “No Strings Welcome Offer”: up to $250 in free bets plus 100 casino free spins on your first-ever deposit. A free bet is a wager the book stakes for you, so you keep the winnings but not the stake.
GET MY BONUS — read our full BetOnline review, then confirm the live offer and Texas eligibility in the cashier.
2. Bovada — best mobile experience
Bovada is the name most Texas bettors already know. Its site works well in a phone browser with no app to install, and its prop builder makes bets like a quarterback’s passing yards easy to find. A prop is a bet on something inside the game rather than the final score.
Bovada lists two welcome paths. Deposit with crypto and you can take a 75% sports match up to $750, on a qualifying deposit up to $1,000, at 5× rollover. Deposit by card and it is a 50% match up to $250, on deposits up to $500, also at 5×.
GET MY BONUS — see our Bovada review, then check Texas acceptance at registration.
3. MyBookie — best for football
MyBookie leans hard into football. If your year revolves around the Cowboys, the Texans and Saturdays in the SEC, it fits. Its bonus page shows a 100% crypto first-deposit match up to $1,000 with code 200MYB and a $50 minimum. Its homepage advertises other offers at the same time, which tells you these deals rotate. Use only the offer on the terms page the day you sign up.
You also get basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, golf, boxing and mixed martial arts, plus live betting and a casino. Crypto is the quicker withdrawal route. Weighing this book against the big-bonus option below? See our MyBookie vs BetUS comparison.
GET MY BONUS — read the MyBookie review and confirm the current code before depositing.
4. BetUS — biggest headline bonus
BetUS posts the largest number on this page: 125% up to $3,125 with code JOIN125 and a $100 minimum. Read the split first. It is 100% for sports up to $2,500 at 14× rollover, plus 25% for casino up to $625 at 30×, and the site lists a 7-day window.
Do that math. A $500 deposit brings $500 in sports bonus money, and 14× means roughly $7,000 in bets before it unlocks. A big bonus is only good value if you were betting that much anyway.
GET MY BONUS — see our BetUS review, and verify the offer shown for Texas, since BetUS advertises different promotions elsewhere on its site.
5. BetNow — best for small deposits
BetNow is the budget pick. Its welcome page lists up to 125%, with a $20 minimum deposit, 25× rollover and a maximum around $2,000. Another BetNow page shows a 100% up-to-$250 version, so check what is live. The $20 entry point is the real draw, since most books here want $50 or $100. Its banking page lists Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, USDT, major cards, Zelle and MoneyGram.
GET MY BONUS — read the BetNow review, then confirm the live bonus and Texas eligibility.
6. Everygame — the veteran
Everygame has operated under one brand or another since 1996, making it one of the oldest names still taking bets. Its U.S. offer is code WELCOME500: a 100% match up to $500, non-crypto, $50 minimum, 12× rollover on deposit plus bonus at minimum odds of -200. Everygame’s own copy contains a 50%/100% inconsistency, so read the cashier terms closely.
Everygame accepts Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin, allows small stakes, and covers major U.S. and international sports with live betting. For a wider look at coin-friendly books, see our guide to crypto sports betting sites.
Other Offshore Sites Texas Bettors Ask About
These are specialty sites, not sportsbook-first operations, so we list them separately instead of ranking them with the six above.
- Thunderpick — crypto and esports specialist. Esports means competitive video gaming, and Thunderpick covers Counter-Strike, League of Legends, Dota 2 and Valorant alongside regular sports. Its blog lists a sports bonus up to €600 at 10× rollover. Bonuses are in euros; check U.S. access at sign-up. GET MY BONUS
- Sportsbet.io — crypto-first. Accounts are funded with coins such as USDT, Bitcoin and TRX rather than dollars. Its promotions page shows a 100% bonus up to 300 USDT. Confirm U.S. eligibility and withdrawal minimums first. GET MY BONUS
- XBet — often described as a sister site of BetOnline, though we have not confirmed the ownership link. Its bonus page has shown a 50% credit-card welcome bonus up to $200 in bonus bets at 10× playthrough. See our XBet review.
- Wild Casino — casino-led, not a sportsbook substitute. Published bonus figures vary widely between sources, so verify on site.
- Super Slots — slots focused. Its welcome page lists 300 free spins after a first deposit of $10 or more, released 30 per day for 10 days.
How to Pick the Right Offshore Book
Do not pick by bonus size. Work through these six checks in this order.
- Licensing jurisdiction. Find the licence named in the site footer and note which country issued it. None are U.S. licences, and none give you a Texas complaint process. Knowing who oversees the site still beats knowing nothing.
- Deposit and withdrawal methods. Look at the withdrawal side, not just deposits. Check the minimum cashout, any fee, and how many free withdrawals you get monthly.
- Rollover terms. Read the number, the deadline and the minimum odds. A 12× rollover with a 7-day clock is far harder than 12× with 30 days.
- Market depth. Market depth means how many different bets a site offers on one game. Check that your teams get more than a side and a total, especially in college sports and soccer.
- Customer support. Test live chat before you deposit. Ask a real question and time the reply. Slow support now means slower support later.
- Mobile experience. Most offshore books run in your phone browser, not an app. Load the site and build a small bet slip. If it is clumsy in August, it will be worse on an NFL Sunday.
Which bonus is actually better?
Book A offers 125% up to $3,125 at 14× rollover. Book B offers 75% up to $750 at 5×. You plan to deposit $200 and bet about $50 a week.
Book A gives you $250, but 14× means roughly $3,500 in bets to unlock it. At $50 a week that takes over a year. Book B gives you $150 and needs about $750 in bets — around 15 weeks. Book B’s smaller bonus is the one you actually collect.
Texas Teams You Can Bet On
Four definitions first, because the table uses them. A moneyline bet is picking who wins. A spread gives the weaker team a head start in points, so the favourite must win by more than that number. A total, or over/under, is a bet on the combined points both teams score. A parlay links several picks into one bet, and every leg has to win.
| Team | League | Bets you usually find |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans | NFL | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, season futures, parlays, live betting |
| Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies | College football (SEC) | Moneyline, spread, total, conference and playoff futures; props vary by game |
| TCU, Baylor, Texas Tech | College football | Moneyline, spread, total; fewer props than pro games |
| Texas Rangers, Houston Astros | MLB | Moneyline, run line, total, first five innings, pitcher and batter props, futures |
| Mavericks, Spurs, Rockets | NBA | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, same-game parlays, live betting |
| Dallas Stars | NHL | Moneyline, puck line, total, player props, futures |
| FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo | MLS | Match result including the draw, total goals, both teams to score, player props |
Two notes. Soccer adds a third result, the draw, so a win bet has three outcomes. A run line or puck line is baseball’s and hockey’s version of a spread, usually set at 1.5.
Texas gets non-team events too. Offshore books post odds on UFC cards at Texas venues, NASCAR weekends at Texas Motor Speedway, and PGA Tour stops including the Texas Open and the Houston Open. College props and live markets are the most uneven category. Check current lines and event rules at your book instead of assuming.
How to Deposit and Withdraw at Offshore Books from Texas
This part trips up first-timers. Offshore books are not plugged into the U.S. banking system the way a licensed app is, so money moves differently.
Crypto is the main road
Cryptocurrency — digital money such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Litecoin (LTC) — is the most common and most reliable option at every book here. Deposits usually land in minutes, and withdrawals go out the same way. The steps:
- Buy the coin at a regulated U.S. exchange or crypto app.
- In the sportsbook cashier, pick that same coin and copy the deposit address it shows.
- Send the coin from your exchange to that address. Send a small test amount the first time.
- Wait for the network to confirm. Bitcoin can take longer than Litecoin.
- To cash out, request a crypto withdrawal to your own wallet, then convert back to dollars at your exchange.
Litecoin is often cheaper and faster for smaller amounts because network fees are lower. For a comparison of which books move money quickest, see our guide to the fastest payout betting sites.
Cards, wires and everything else
Most of these sites accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Card deposits do work, but they get declined a lot, because your bank may refuse the transaction. Some issuers treat it as a cash advance, which adds a fee and interest from day one. Keep a backup method ready.
Bank wires and courier cheques are offered for larger amounts. They take days rather than minutes and usually carry fees. Options like Zelle or MoneyGram show up at some sites. Availability changes by account and location, so your own cashier is the only list that counts.
Risks of Using Offshore Sportsbooks
Everything above assumes you know what you are giving up. Here it is straight.
- No U.S. consumer protection. There is no Texas regulator to call. If a site voids a bet or freezes an account, your only options are its support team and public complaint forums.
- Payout disputes are harder to fix. A licensed U.S. sportsbook answers to a state agency. An offshore book does not. Delays and payout limits happen, and nobody can force a resolution for you.
- Crypto mistakes cannot be undone. Send coin to a wrong address and it is gone for good. No chargeback, no support ticket that recovers it. Copy and paste addresses, then test with a small amount.
- Holds slow you down. Your exchange may hold new deposits for days, and a book may request ID documents before your first withdrawal. Both are normal, and both hit at the worst moment.
- Bonus money can lock your balance. Take a bonus and you may not be able to withdraw until rollover is done. Want flexibility? Decline the bonus.
- Winnings are taxable. The IRS treats gambling winnings as income wherever the operator is based. Offshore books do not issue a Form W-2G, the U.S. tax form regulated books send for certain wins. The obligation stays; the recordkeeping is on you.
Log dates, amounts wagered, wins, losses, deposits and withdrawals, and talk to a tax professional. None of this means every offshore book is a scam — several have paid customers for years. It does mean any balance you leave on one is money at risk. Withdraw regularly instead of letting a bankroll pile up offshore.
Offshore Sportsbooks in Texas FAQ
Is it legal to bet with an offshore sportsbook in Texas?
No. Offshore betting is not legal, regulated sports betting in Texas. Texas has not licensed any sportsbook, and the state constitution plus Penal Code Chapter 47 make it one of the strictest states in the country. Offshore sites operate outside U.S. licensing and consumer protections. Our research found no recent Texas case prosecuting someone only for placing an offshore bet, but that is not proof it cannot happen. Ask a Texas attorney if you need a real answer.
Will offshore sportsbooks accept a Texas address?
Usually yes — the books on this page commonly take Texas sign-ups. But each operator sets its own rules and can change them without notice. Some sites block certain states entirely. The only way to know is to start registration and check the cashier. We cannot promise any site will accept your account.
How fast do offshore sportsbooks pay out?
Crypto is quickest, and several books advertise same-day or next-day crypto withdrawals. Cheques and wires take days or longer. We have not tested withdrawals here, so we report what operators publish rather than promising a timeline. Expect your first payout to take longer because of identity checks.
Do I have to pay taxes on offshore betting winnings?
Gambling winnings are generally taxable income under IRS rules, and the sportsbook’s location does not change that. Offshore books send no W-2G, so keep your own log of bets, wins, losses and transfers. Check current IRS guidance and speak to a tax professional about your own situation.
When could Texas get legal sportsbooks?
The earliest realistic window is the 2027 regular session, because the Legislature meets in odd-numbered years. Even a successful bill would need voters to approve a constitutional amendment, so a launch would come later still. Treat 2027 as a possibility, not a plan.
References
- Texas State Law Library — Gambling guide.
- Texas Penal Code Chapter 47.
- HJR 134 bill history, 89th Texas Legislature.
- Texas Tribune, March 12, 2025 — House Republicans oppose sports betting.
- Texas Tribune, March 6, 2026 — Dan Patrick remains vocal critic.
- FBI IC3 Public Service Announcement, December 17, 2025 — Offshore sportsbook risks.
Gambling involves risk. Only wager what you can afford to lose. Must be 21+ to participate in sports betting or casino gambling in Texas. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700 (National Council on Problem Gambling) or dial 211.
More in Gambling Guides
