by
What’s it going to take for some good Texas sports betting news to come in for proponents in the state? The most recent push to get things across the board failed miserably, but now the attention has been moved to 2025 for lawmakers and officials. A sports betting bill has already been pre-filed, giving people hope that maybe good things are on the way. Hold the phone on that, as experts think Texas sports betting will be delayed again.
At a new betting panel at a forum in New York City this month, the word around town was that Texas is nowhere close to getting things moving in the right direction for legal sports betting. The main takeaways from the forum were the poor news on Texas, but the positive update that California could surprise a lot of people by getting sports betting legalized in the near future. That would surely sting for everyone in Texas.
Plenty of people have been quite outspoken about getting betting legalized in the state, highlighted by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Both team owners know the benefits that would come with legal sports betting, yet they’re not getting a ton of support elsewhere. This has been frustrating for Cuban and Jones, plus the fanbases of the Cowboys and Mavs.
Texas is one of the biggest states in the USA and they have loads of elite pro teams. Don’t forget that they have top college programs as well, including the University of Texas Longhorns. Despite that, nothing has been done to give people much hope that the local government is willing to go the extra mile to get sports betting done soon. The latest update from the NYC forum is only going to leave more people scratching their heads. Who knows if proper changes will ever arrive?
Illegal NFL Draft betting is sure to be a problem for Texas in late April
It goes without saying, but illegal NFL Draft betting is sure to be a problem for Texas in late April. Not only are there plenty of Texas Longhorns players ready to hear their names called at the NFL Draft, but people all over the state will be waiting to see what happens with the Dallas Cowboys in the first round. Folks will be checking the NFL betting odds consistently to see who the Cowboys might be taking in the first round.
This year, Dallas holds the No. 24 overall pick and they surely have a lot of needs that need to be addressed. This past season, the NFC East powerhouse had dreams of reaching the Super Bowl, but they lost to the Packers in the Wild Card Round. This offseason players will be added via the draft, but the front office still needs to get an extension done with star quarterback Dak Prescott. This week, Prescott was asked about an extension and he’s feeling confident. Jones is ready to talk too.
From our Combine coverage: The #Cowboys and decorated LT Tyron Smith are moving in different directions, while owner Jerry Jones' comments on Dak Prescott's contract… were interesting. pic.twitter.com/adAqOWZnVp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2024
“You can get in and get on the same page, and see if you can come to an agreement,” Jones said at the NFL Combine. “If you can’t, the deal we have in place works. So, obviously, if you do it one way, you’ll be working through some of the other areas on the team in a different way; but you can’t really plan on that until you see where you are there, and that’s what we’re doing.”
The Cowboys want to make sure Prescott stays with the team for the long haul, and they can’t afford his cap hit of nearly $60 million for the 2024 season. We expect something to get done soon, but it’s unknown if the deal will get finalized before the draft. With the draft, the pressure will be on the Cowboys to land a playmaker, but unfortunately for people in Texas who will be watching the first round closely, they won’t be able to place any legal wagers on who Dallas might pick.
No Rangers betting is going to be a nightmare for Texas
Looking at things on the diamond, no Rangers betting is going to be a nightmare for Texas. Last season, the Texas Rangers shocked everyone by winning the World Series and they’re now ready to try and defend their title. While this is quite exciting, people who will be checking the MLB betting odds will not be able to bet on their favorite team. How much longer do people in the state have to deal with this?
THE TEXAS RANGERS ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/hhHYTSrp4S
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) November 2, 2023
There’s no denying that illegal MLB betting has been a major problem for Texas – the same can be said for NFL betting too. Imagine the disappointment for Rangers fans now being able to place wagers on the AL West side. A ton of analysts think the Rangers will be ‘one and done’ in terms of winning the title, but Texas will look to silence their haters during the spring, summer and fall. Maybe next season people will be able to place bets on the Rangers, but even that’s looking doubtful.
