Can you Gamble Online in Texas?
Gambling in Texas is a very strange situation. While there is gambling allowed within the state, there is currently no legal online gambling available. However, despite this, it doesn’t mean that the online gambling world is completely hidden away from players. There are some grey areas out there that make it a little bit more complicated than it might seem at first glance. We’ve taken a detailed look into gambling in Texas, and what you can expect.
Online Gambling
The first aspect to look at is online gambling. Lots of players want to enjoy online gambling, but they’re not aware of how to do so. So, if a player wants to go online, and play with real money like in New Zealand, they would rightly think that it’s not legal to do so. With online gambling bills defeated a number of times recently, this isn’t something that is likely to change in the future.
However, this is a poor decision on the part of Texas lawmakers, as it causes players to go elsewhere to play. They normally end up using offshore sites to play at. This causes issues for Texas in two main ways.
Firstly, it means that players will be exposing themselves to potentially less trustworthy sites. While there are a lot of legitimate and safe offshore sites out there, there are also some that don’t have such good reputations. This obviously puts players at risk, and it means that they could potentially end up losing their money in an illegitimate fashion.
Secondly, it means that a lot of tax revenue is leaving the state. It’s just a fact that if people want to gamble, then they will. This is something that has gone on for hundreds of years. Although obviously online casinos weren’t available all this time. By choosing offshore sites to play at, it means that these sites don’t have to pay taxes to the state of Texas. This means that the money players are spending there, isn’t coming back into the state as taxes. It means that a lot of publicly funded enterprises aren’t getting as much funding as they could get.
It’s a case of the state cutting its nose off to spite its face a little bit, but it is also a hypocritical action. Texas has a wide range of different gambling options available to players, it’s just that they are not available online. It appears there are hierarchies of gambling in terms of what is acceptable, and what isn’t.
Other Gambling Options
It’s a known fact that some areas of Texas are kept afloat by gambling. If this revenue was taken away then a lot of businesses would go out of business. Tax revenue would fall, and from there, the economy would be impacted. It may seem like a small cog, but when it’s an important one, the effects it has can be felt far and wide.
So, if other forms of gambling are okay, why is online gambling not suitable? There are a number of different theories as to why this is. The first is that the lawmakers within Texas are of a certain age. As they’re generally older, they have a distrust for the internet, and as such, block off gambling through it.
On top of this, there is a feeling that if gambling is made legal online, then it will lead to a raft of gambling related issues. It’s almost as though the people of Texas aren’t trusted to moderate their own behaviour.
With a lottery, horse and greyhound betting, and brick and mortar casinos available, it is a little bit strange that online gambling is ostracized in this way. It does mean that there are a lot of different gambling choices for players in Texas, it’s just that none of them are available online. Whether this will change in the future is still up in the air too.
Will it Change?
This is something that no-one really knows. There have been a number of bills debated recently, which have ended up being defeated. It means that the people who are pulling for gambling to be legalized, are starting to feel deflated. Unless there is a change in terms of the people in positions of power within Texas, then it’s unlikely that the laws will change any time in the future.
However, the ability to play at offshore online casinos means that players don’t have to miss out. It’s just important to make sure that a good level of research is carried out first. Just look at the best reviews around, and you’ll be able to know if you can trust the online casino before you even start playing.