Texas Lawmakers to Review Sports Betting Laws on Wednesday

• Three Texas sports betting bills will be discussed by the House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday.
• The meeting will discuss regulating sports betting, racetracks, casinos, and establishing the Texas Lottery Commission as the governing body of it all.

AUSTIN, Texas – Three sports betting bills in Texas will be under review on Wednesday by the House State Affairs Committee, with the results of the review determining if each bill will be on the general ballot in November.

Sports Betting Bills in Texas

The prospective bills that created a regulated legal Texas sports betting market are:

• HB 904: Specifically adds a section in the Texas Penal Code section 47.01 that would specifically make Daily Fantasy Sports legal in Texas. Daily fantasy sports operators in Texas have been operating in a grey area, with this bill making it clear that DFS in Texas is legal. HB 904 would take effect on September 1, 2023.
• HJR 102: Allows Texas legislatures to authorize and regulate bets on sports teams, organizations like golf leagues, and regulate racetracks. This change is legislature alters subsection A of Section 47, Article 3 of the Texas Constitution. There is no designated timetable as to when HJR 102 would go into effect, but it would be submitted to be on the general ballot on November 7, 2023.
• HB 1942: Establishes the Texas Lottery Commission as the governing body of sports betting in Texas. Would give the commission oversite over sportsbooks and racetracks. House Bill 1942 would go into effect on January 1, 2024, if approved by voters.

The House State Affairs Committee will meet on Wednesday at 10:30 AM (CT) to discuss each legal sports betting bill.

To live stream the event, viewers can click here once the meeting begins on Wednesday.

News tags: Texas | TX HB 1942 | TX HB 904 | TX HJR 102