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If you know anything about sports betting in Texas, chances are you know the name and title of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. He leads the Senate and is one of Texas’ most powerful politicians.
But here’s the thing: Patrick is arguably the biggest hindrance to a legal sports betting market in the Lone Star State. He’s made his opposition to the issue crystal clear time and time again.
Bettors and operators alike were holding out hope Patrick would exit his position in lieu of a Donald Trump presidential win. The latter happened but it appears that Patrick is hanging in tight. Keep reading and we’ll get you up to speed with the big story in Texas.
Patrick Says No To Trump Cabinet Position
Trump will be president No. 47 after making easy work of Kamala Harris in the 2024 Presidential Election. It’s now time to fill up his cabinet for a second run at the presidency. Welp, Patrick will not be part of the group — and that’s by his own doing. Shortly after Trump secured the vote, Patrick posted the following on X, formerly Twitter:
“I have stated clearly many times before: while it would be an honor to serve in President Trump’s cabinet, I am staying in Texas,” wrote Patrick. “My best opportunity to serve the people is right here. I love what I do.”
So there you have it folks, Patrick is staying put in a position he’s held since 2015 under Governor Greg Abbott. He’s 74 years old, but retirement probably isn’t an option either. Patrick has said his chief priority for the 2025 legislative session is pushing private school vouchers.
Rumors of a Patrick-Trump partnership had swirled for years. After all, the two Republicans are close. Patrick was a regular visitor to Trump’s White House during his first term, plus served as his Texas campaign chairman. There’s no bad blood between the two, but Patrick is just committed to the Lone Star State.
“I will continue to do all I can to help my friend, President Trump, succeed over the next four years, but I’ll do it from Texas,” said Patrick over X.
Sports Betting Runs Into Wall With Patrick
For the first time, the House passed a sports betting bill in the state of Texas. This transpired in 2023. But here’s the issue: that bill died in the Senate, which Patrick leads.
Heck, dying might be an understatement. It never really had life on the Senate floor. The Senate members hardly discussed it — it was that low of a priority.
This has to change if a bill is ever going to get passed. But again, with Patrick in a firm position, this is highly unlikely. After all, Patrick has said GOP Senators don’t want betting, particularly casinos. That spells trouble for sports betting too.
Not Even Big Wigs Can Change Patrick’s Mind
It’s not like people aren’t trying to sway Patrick’s opinion on sports betting. In fact, some of the most influential people in the state have tried (and failed) to get into Patrick’s ear.
The most prominent one is Miriam Adelson — the new majority owner of the Mavericks after buying up a huge stake from Mark Cuban. She’s throwing money around the state, whether it’s buying up land for a new arena (that ideally would have a casino attached) or donating to Republican politicians. So far, it’s gotten her nowhere.
Adelson is new, but a stalwart of the state is Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Jones made his support of legal sports betting evident many times before.
But Patrick isn’t listening — not yet at least. We really don’t foresee him changing his mind in 2025 or anytime soon. For what it’s worth, Patrick’s current term ends in 2026 unless he re-runs, which he said he would.
Texas Bettors Try And Fail To Wager In-State
Sports are religion in Texas, particularly if it involves a pigskin. Between the Cowboys, Texans, Mavs, Rockets, Astros, and Rangers, you have a wealth of sports betting opportunities in and around the state. And if numbers are to be believed, Texans want to throw money on these teams and then some.
Some interesting data came out of GeoComply — a company that provides geolocation compliance for many operators. GeoComply underpins the technology that makes sure licensed operators take in bets from legal places. Well, in September, GeoComply said they blocked more than 1.1 million login attempts from Texas across their operator client list. Those attempts came from 105,000 different user accounts — 57 percent more compared to the same time in 2023.
“Every thwarted attempt to log in to a legal sportsbook represents a missed opportunity for Texans to engage in a safe, regulated activity and for the state to generate tax revenue to support important programs,” Texas Sports Betting Alliancespokesperson Lauren Clay said in a release.
So what are these bettors likely doing instead? Probably using offshore sportsbooks. These sites thrive in non-legal states like Texas and California. We’ve personally used them and can attest to their quality. If you’re looking for recommended offshore sportsbooks, we’d start with these five:
Best Betting Sites 