Over the last 12 months, the US gambling market has seen more and more states approve legislation for gambling.
While there were different forms of gambling allowed in a series of states, the biggest type of gambling that has always been a major obstacle is online gambling and online sports betting.
In some states, for example, it was/is legal to only take part in very few forms such as at a land-based casino or bingo hall, or even just do the lotto, while in others there is the ability to do every form of gambling.
It is a stark contrast to countries such as the UK, which has been a fully regulated market since 2004 and according to Paybyphonebillcasino.uk there are now hundreds of licensed sites available for UK customers.
In the US though, the states of Nevada and New Jersey were the first to approve the major types of gambling (including online) and then followed Pennsylvania. In recent months though, this has opened up to both Michigan and New York, with a number of others also exploring the possibility of making online gambling legal. There is no doubt, that this is the biggest and most lucrative type that is available.
However, there are still other states that are seen as particularly strict when it comes to gambling in the US and one of those is Texas.
What are the finer details of gambling laws in Texas?
Without a doubt, Texas is one of the strictest states when it comes to gambling in the US, with a lot of gambling activity classed as a criminal offence.
For example, gambling is considered to be a criminal offence if a person:
- Places a bet on the partial or final result of an event or the performance of a participant in a contest, such as boxing for example.
- Puts a wager on the result of a political nomination or election of a candidate, or
- Makes a bet for money on any other thing of value such as games like cards, dice, balls, or any other device that could be classed as a gambling activity.
There are, however, some exceptions to the rule, with state lottery bets being allowed, in addition to horse and greyhound betting. Meanwhile, there are some valid defences against prosecution as well such as:
- The person took part in gambling on private property.
- There was no additional economic benefit involved other than personal winnings and;
- Apart from the advantage of luck or skill, the risks of losing and the chances of winning are seen as the same for each person involved.
Social gambling in Texas
What is more common in Texas is the social gambling scene, which means people can get together in their own homes and have a game of poker which is particularly popular, especially among students.
In addition, bingo games are also allowed in Texas, as long as the person who organises such an event is not seen as taking any kind of profit.