TEXAS — The surge in betting activity surrounding the FIFA World Cup is renewing efforts by sports betting advocates to convince Texas lawmakers to legalize sports wagering during the upcoming legislative session.
Industry advocates say the tournament, which is being held across North America, demonstrates that Texans are already placing bets despite the state’s prohibition on traditional sports betting.
Sportsbooks across the United States have reported betting volumes during the World Cup that have exceeded expectations, adding momentum to the debate over legalized sports gambling in Texas.
Some soccer fans say they have joined in the betting excitement.
“I don’t sports bet, um, sports bet a lot; but when I do, I throw five or ten bucks on my favorite player,” said soccer fan Preston Day, who uses Kalshi.
Although traditional sports betting remains illegal in Texas, prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket have emerged as legal alternatives. Rather than placing conventional wagers, users buy event contracts tied to the outcomes of sporting events and other occurrences.
“There are bills that have been produced to try to ban it,” said soccer fan Thorleif Egeli.
Legalizing sports betting and casino gambling has received support from several major professional sports franchises, including the Dallas Mavericks, and from the billionaire Adelson family, which owns casino company Las Vegas Sands. Despite those efforts, legislation has failed to advance in recent legislative sessions.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has remained opposed to expanding gambling in Texas and has also expressed interest in closing what critics describe as a loophole allowing prediction market platforms to operate.
Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, said the organization plans to continue making its case when lawmakers return to Austin in January.
“They don’t take this opportunity, prediction market companies will certainly step into that void alongside illegal and unregulated operators,” Maloney said.
Advocates argue that legalizing sports betting would allow Texas to capture tax revenue currently flowing elsewhere while providing funding for gambling addiction treatment programs.
Texas currently does not dedicate state funding specifically to problem gambling programs.
Las Vegas Sands recently donated $100,000 to the nonprofit Texas Coalition on Problem Gambling.
“With legal regulated wagering to actually deliver some of these tax revenues to actually help people, as well as fund things that are really important to Texans: public education, roads, infrastructure, healthcare access,” Maloney said.
Some sports fans believe legalization is ultimately inevitable.
“They’re going to have to just allow it, at some point, ‘cause it’s basically already happening,” Day said.
For now, as the World Cup continues, many Texas soccer fans are enjoying the tournament while hoping both their favorite teams and their wagers come out on top.