What’s the status of online casinos in Texas?
Since the federal ban on online gambling was lifted back in 2018, multiple US states have brought in legislation facilitating online and mobile gambling. Sports betting has been the focus for most states, though some have opted to legalize online casinos as well.
Texas, however, is one of the states that has so far taken little action with regard to legalizing online betting of any kind. Neither sportsbooks nor real money online casinos are legal in the Lone Star State.
But does that mean that there are no options available to fans of slots and other casino-style games? Absolutely not! There are some alternatives available, and you can even play for the chance to win cash prizes in some instances.
The two main legal options that you have are sweepstakes and
social casinos, which we will cover in a bit more detail later in this article. First though, let’s take a look at gambling as a whole in Texas.
They say that everything is bigger in Texas, which might be true in most instances. Though when it comes to casinos and gambling, that really isn’t the case. Texas law also prohibits gambling on state land, so retail casinos are also restricted. The only exceptions are Native American tribal lands located within the state, where you will find only a handful of retail casinos and racetracks. So it’s not all doom and gloom; there are some land-based options available to you.
Texas online casinos - The best alternatives
Real-money online casinos are not legal in Texas; we have established that. Nor are they likely to be legalized anytime in the near future as things stand. As we said before though, all is far from lost. Sweepstakes and social casinos provide you with a plethora of alternative options for casino-style gaming in the country’s second-largest state.
Texas sweepstakes casinos
By far and away the closest alternatives that you have to real money online gambling sites in Texas are sweepstakes casinos. At such sites, you can play casino-style games and slots completely free using two forms of virtual currency. Most operators refer to these virtual currencies as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, and there is a very sharp distinction between the two.
Gold Coins is a currency that exists purely for fun – the currency can only be lost and won within the game and has no real monetary value. There are plenty of ways to get Gold Coins for free at a sweepstakes casino, including when you sign up. Additionally, you do have the option to buy Gold Coins in bundles as well. However, you can never exchange or withdraw these Gold Coins as real cash.
How Sweeps Coins work in Texas
The second currency that sweepstakes casinos have is Sweeps Coins. Like Gold Coins, Sweeps Coins are also a form of virtual currency. However, unlike Gold Coins, sweepstakes cannot be bought. The most important difference though is that they can be used to redeem prizes. With some of the top
new sweeps casinos
in Texas, these prizes will come in the form of cash. At others, you will be able to swap your sweeps for gift cards, merch, and other items.
Why are Texas sweepstakes casinos legal?
In short, sweepstakes are legal because they are not classed as real money gambling. Effectively, you are not gambling any of your money against the house; instead, you are merely playing for the chance to win prizes. Texas has stricter sweepstakes laws than most US states, as operators have to take certain steps to avoid being classified as illegal lotteries.
We won’t bore you with the ins and outs of the laws though – we’ll leave that up to the sweepstakes casino operators themselves. The most important thing for you to know is that all of the sweepstakes casinos recommended by us here at CaptainGambling operate within the law.
Texas social casinos
If the chance to win cash prizes isn’t important to you, or you simply aren’t interested in risking your own money, then you might want to give social casinos a try. Social casinos are very similar to sweepstakes casinos, only without the “sweepstakes” element. When you play at a social casino, you will use Gold Coins or a similar virtual currency. However, Sweeps Coins are not available at an operator offering solely social gameplay.
Any prizes that you can win at a social casino exist solely within the game. While you can buy virtual currency in bundles, and make other in-app purchases in some cases, nothing at a social casino has any real-world value and you cannot make cash withdrawals at any stage. Basically, social casinos are a lot of fun, especially if you want to play with friends. If the actual gaming element is more appealing to you than gambling, then we definitely recommend giving some social casino apps a try.
Who can use these types of Texas casino sites?
The minimum age for playing sweepstakes in Texas is 21, which is the same for the legal forms of land-based gambling including casinos and racetracks. As there are no sweepstakes or real money gambling involved with social casinos, the minimum age requirement here is 18. However, as some social casinos are also sweepstakes casinos, it is common for operators to set their own age limit at 21, regardless of state law.
How to find the best Texas online casinos
Now that we have told you all about the fun there is to be had with sweepstakes and social casinos, it’s only right that we help you to find the best operators. When it comes to real money online gambling, we don’t really have to remind you anymore that they are not available in Texas. However, many states that do have legal online gambling do allow tourists aged 21 and older to partake when physically located within state borders. With that in mind, we do have a list of the best online casinos in the US for those of you who have an out-of-state trip planned.
The Top Texas sweepstakes casinos
When it comes to finding the best sweepstakes casinos, there are a few things that need to be considered. First of all, you probably want to take a look at what prizes are available. As we said before, not all operators offer cash prizes for their sweepstakes, so if that is what you’re looking for make sure your casino has them available. Additionally, you might want to take a look at your chances of winning prizes.
What’s arguably more important though are the games on offer and the overall experience. In our sweepstakes casino reviews, we have covered all of these elements for you. Next, you can find out more information about our top-ranked sweepstakes casino in Texas today.
Stake.us: Top of the charts
There is no doubt that Stake.us deserves its spot at the very top of our social and sweepstakes casino leaderboard. When registering, we were presented with a variety of ways to do so and found the whole process incredibly straightforward. Before clicking submit, we would suggest entering our exclusive promotional code, too. Once entered, you'll be able to redeem a 5% Rakeback bonus that will return 5% of all your casino losses the very next day.
After redeeming the exclusive Rakeback bonus, you'll want to unlock some Gold Coins and Stake Cash to play with. This can easily be done by unlocking the
daily login bonus - a bonus that tops up your virtual currency pots every 24 hours. Any Gold Coins received will hold no real-money value; however, they can be used across all casino titles found at Stake.us. Stake Cash, on the other hand, can only be used on promotional titles and as a way to enter various onsite or social media competitions. When a 3x playthrough has been met, you can look to convert your Stake Cash to digital currency, vouchers, or merchandise.
Alongside the chance to walk away with real cash prizes, the obvious perk of Stake.us comes from the enjoyment of playing across its fast-loading and varied gaming portfolio. You can currently find over 300 titles backed by the likes of Hacksaw Gaming and Pragmatic Play, covering casino genres like slots, scratchcards, table games, and live casinos. Plus, you'll also be presented with some intriguing in-house titles, called
Stake Originals.
The best Texas social casinos
Besides cash prizes, most of the above aspects also apply when it comes to finding the right social casino for you. Naturally, the game selection and gameplay are more important when using a social casino. In addition to that, you want to look at the “social” element as well.
The best operators are not merely social in name only. Often, you will be able to set up tournaments with friends, interact with your fellow players and link your social casino account with your social media channels. On top of that, even though the rewards at social casinos have no cash value, the best ones will enhance your overall experience.
Mobile casinos in Texas
These days, the vast majority of players want to do most of their gaming on the move. If this is true for you, then finding a sweepstakes or social casino is an absolute must. Fortunately, the majority of operators put a lot of effort into their mobile gaming experience because of its popularity.
In fact, it’s rare to find a social or sweepstakes casino in Texas that doesn’t have an app. And those that do lack apps will usually have a mobile-optimized website that performs well. You can use our comparison tool here at CaptainGambling to find the top
social casino apps
that are available for players in Texas right now.
Get your casino bonus in Texas today
Are casino bonuses available in Texas? You bet they are! Just because real money online gambling isn’t legal, doesn’t mean that you can’t grab yourself a decent sign-up offer. In actual fact, social and sweepstakes casinos are more bonus-heavy than gambling sites anyway.
In addition to having reviews where you can compare the best Texas social casinos, you can also find the top promotions here as well. All of the
sweepstakes casino bonus codes
displayed on this page are valid and up to date. We always bring you new promo codes as and when they come around, so be sure to bookmark this page and revisit us.
What casino bonuses are available in Texas?
So what types of bonuses can you actually get at a social casino? It differs from site to site, but there are some that are pretty ubiquitous. For example, every operator will give you some free Gold Coins when you register your account, though the amounts may vary. Some sweepstakes casinos may even give you free Sweeps Coins on sign-up as well.
In addition to that, pretty much all sites also have a daily reload bonus of some type, which means that you can get a bonus every single day. At some of the more generous social casinos, you can reload your Gold Coins balance every four hours.
Of course, it is still in the interests of sweepstakes and social casinos to have at least some of their players spend money. One of the main ways that they incentivize players is through purchase bonuses. When you go to make a Gold Coins purchase at a sweepstakes casino, you will often find promo packs that come with a certain quantity of free Sweeps Coins.
Texas online casinos - There are more options than you think
At the end of the day, Texas is about as far away from being a real money online gambling hub as you can get. Moreover, it isn’t likely to become one anytime soon. However, there are still more options available for you when it comes to casino games than you might first have thought. So why not take a look at our reviews of the best sweepstakes and social casinos in Texas here at CaptainGambling?
Texas Online Casinos FAQ
🎰 Can you play online casinos in Texas?
Texas is notorious for being strict with regard to its gambling regulations. But when it comes to playing casino-style games and slots, there might be more options available than you would first have thought. Take a look at our Texas casino guide to discover more.
🎲 What gambling sites are legal in Texas?
A full list of legal gambling sites and alternatives in Texas can be found here at CaptainGambling.com. All of the information on this site is regularly updated to reflect the gambling legislation in the Lone Star State.
📱 Do gambling apps work in Texas?
Our experts have provided you with all of the online gambling sites and apps that you can access in states across the US. If online gambling isn’t legal in the state you are located in, then we will provide you with the closest legal alternatives.
