This should come as no surprise, but in terms of Texas sports betting news, people are still finding ways to get their wagers in. As most of you know, betting is still illegal in the state, although there’s some hope that maybe things will get changed in 2025. Throughout the year, illegal activity is always high, but there has been a spike in things in recent weeks. That’s because illegal Texas sports betting is high during the NBA postseason. This is because the Dallas Mavericks have been impressive.

In Texas, the Mavs are the lone team still in the hunt to try and chase a title. The Mavericks are in the middle of a thrilling series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a trip to the Western Conference Finals on the line. The Thunder have the stronger NBA betting odds to advance, but the Mavs are making things interesting. As of this writing, the series is neck and neck and things could really go either way. Dallas is hoping they’ll be able to stun Oklahoma City.

“When you talk about the team, just the calmness, the trust, just understanding (this) series is a little different than (the) season,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “The talk within that locker room is that we all believe we have each other’s back. It’s about being positive on this journey. Just the calmness on the bench, in the locker room. Before the game or at halftime. No matter what the score is, there’s just a calmness and understanding of what we have to do if we’re down or even if we’re up.

With this series being so entertaining, it’s of course leading to plenty of wagers being placed for each game. This is bad news for officials and lawmakers in Texas, as they’ve been doing everything possible to try and lower this kind of activity. Per a report, the numbers for illegal bets for offshore accounts indeed have been high. If Dallas moves on to the next round of the playoffs, then things are only going to climb even further.

MLB betting isn’t slowing down in Texas either

Another negative to keep in mind here is that MLB betting isn’t slowing down in Texas either. This was unfortunately expected, as the Texas Rangers won the World Series last year. Now, Texas is hoping to repeat as the champs and its fans are putting money down on them any chance that they get. The same can be said for the Houston Astros, as they’re hoping to win the AL West this season and go on a deep postseason run.

Both teams are chasing the Seattle Mariners in the division, but the Rangers remain the favorites to win it. Houston is going to make things interesting, though, so we will have to wait and see how things shape out. Regardless of who wins the AL West, people in Texas are finding ways to check the MLB betting odds and place bets on those two teams. In addition, fans also continue to travel to outside states for sports betting purposes, which hurts local businesses all over the state.

With the All-Star break inching closer, the excitement for the regular season as a whole continues to rise. If the Rangers and Astros keep on recording great wins too, then only more illegal activity is going to be on the way. This is something that 100 percent needs to change in Texas.

Right now, there’s a pre-written betting bill set for 2025, but there are still plenty of loops that need to be jumped through. Texas is a massive state, but the divide on the sports betting topic among politicians has been rough to see. In the near future, we should have more updates on the push, but it’s unclear if things will get done or not. The longer Texas waits, the more illegal bets will increase in the area.

There will be no legal NFL betting for next season

One important thing to keep in mind here too is that there will be no legal NFL betting for next season either. This past year, people all over Texas were waiting to see if things would arrive, but they did not. People were checking the NFL betting odds for the Dallas Cowboys, as they ended up winning the NFC East.

The Cowboys impressed throughout the year, but once the postseason arrived, they dropped the ball at home against the Green Bay Packers. Just like that, the Super Bowl betting dreams were crushed across the country for Cowboys fans, including those who were placing illegal bets inside of the state.

With the NFL schedule being released on Wednesday night, the excitement for next season is already through the roof. However, Cowboys fans know for sure that they won’t be able to place any legal bets on Dallas this regular season. It’s a major bummer, and politicians and lawmakers should be held accountable for not being able to get things across the line. It’s bad news all around for football fans, as there won’t be any legal college football betting either.