Texas residents flock to Louisiana with sports betting legal

Peter LewisPeter Lewis | November 15, 2021
Texas residents flock to Louisiana with sports betting legal

While it doesn’t look like Texas sports betting will be made legal until 2023, that doesn’t mean that it’s all bad news for people right now. That’s because some different opportunities have just opened up in a neighboring state: Louisiana. That’s right, sports betting was just made legal, as Texas residents flock to Louisiana with sports betting legal right now. This has opened the door up for Texans to travel over.

With east Texas only a few miles away from the Louisiana border, this has opened the door for Texas residents to drive on over and get their bets in since sports betting in Texas hasn’t gone through. This is something that Louisiana was expecting, as they’ve now become the 29th state in the country to legalize sports betting. With casinos now taking sports bets, this is obviously big for Louisiana/Texas residents.

Again, this is exciting news for everyone in Texas, as Shreveport is quite literally only a short drive away. Because of this, it’s allowing for people to get their bets in despite it not being allowed yet in Texas. With that said, this only adds to the frustration of people who can’t get things done within Texas’ state lines. That’s because the legislation wasn’t passed in 2021 to get things on the ballot in time.

Now, folks have to travel elsewhere to get their sports betting done. Luckily, though, this new option in Louisiana really has things closer than ever for folks. They can of course travel to Las Vegas, which continues to bring in record-breaking bets and numbers this fall. Now, Louisiana has added a new wrinkle to things for people in Texas. However, when will things be able to change for Texas?

Sports betting in Texas could arrive come 2023 at the earliest

With people waiting on pins and needles, sports betting in Texas could arrive come 2023 at the earliest for people. As we mentioned above, things were not presented on the ballot in time for 2021. Missing the deadline was a monster blow for the state, as there are billions of dollars on the line here when it comes to sports betting. That’s why Louisiana is so happy that they were able to get things finalized.

The hope is that once 2023 arrives, both in-person sports betting and online betting apps will be able to get done. This of course will be a game-changer, as Texas is widely known as being a big-time sports state. This is of course understandable with the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Austin FC, and more pro teams showcasing their talents on a consistent basis.

Oh, and don’t forget about people checking the different MLB Baseball picks out there whenever the Texas Rangers are in action. In the summer months, sports betting for baseball is massive. However, people haven’t been able to legally do that in Texas. They’ve had to go to different states in order to put bets down, which is quite annoying. Will things end up changing once 2023 rolls around? That’s the hope.

However, similar to places like California and other states where betting isn’t legal yet, there’s still illegal gambling that takes place. People go through illegal bookies and then make their wagers that way. It’s something that needs to be regulated and fast. Otherwise, this problem is only going to continue to grow all over the Lone Star State. This is something that surely might be fixed come 2023 for everyone.

Texans are confident sports betting will be made legal soon enough

With all of this said, Texans are confident sports betting will be made legal soon enough for everyone to enjoy. The fact that things couldn’t get pushed forward this year was a major disappointment, but that’s only motivating the different lawmakers and people interested in presenting initiatives to make sure that there are no further delays in the future. Right now, it’s really feeling like a 2023 or bust for sports betting.

In order for that to actually become a reality, folks are going to have to really present their cases and make sure that things indeed get on the ballot for come 2023 so that people in Texas can vote sports betting in. The wide expectation is that people won’t think twice and quickly vote in sports betting for everyone to take advantage of. For sports fans, they’re simply sick and tired of waiting for it to lock-in.

Things really reached a new high point for folks when Austin FC reached its historic agreement with PointsBet, making PB their exclusive partner for sports betting when it does become legal. Think about it, why would a major gaming company like that lock into an agreement with a sports team like this if they didn’t strongly believe the laws were going to be changing in the near future in the Lone Star State.

Now, it’s feeling like only a matter of time before sports betting in Texas can cross the finish line. Until then, with 2023 as the ideal date where things can get done, folks all over Texas will have to make their legal sports bets elsewhere. Fortunately for them, Louisiana has now opened the door for them to take advantage of things.

Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis Jr. comes from Mississippi where he and his family spend their days discussing college football and basketball. He's written sports journalism for years after studying journalism at a local university.