Despite numerous bills to legalize betting in Texas failing in 2021, the announcement of a deal between English bookmaker Bet365 and the San Antonio Spurs might give Texans added belief that legalized gambling in the state isn’t too far off.
Between them, gambling giant bet365 and the Spurs have created a free-to-play prediction game where fans can win prizes and experiences, such as club tours, meeting players, etc.
The prediction game ‘Call Your Shot’ launched in October, in time for the 2021/22 NBA season (more information on the 2021/22 season can be found on our NBA Betting Sites page).
It is available through the official Spurs mobile app.
In addition to Call Your Shot, the Spurs also announced a wider partnership with Bet365.
The English gambling giants have adverts displayed across the AT&T Center, visible on TV. And they also have a presence on the Spurs’ social media channels and the Spurs.com website.
But why is this significant?
Well, with sports betting still illegal in the state of Texas, this investment shows a massive commitment from a gambling giant to gain a foothold within the state.
bet365 wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t see some future change in the gambling laws on the horizon.
The betting company – one of the most successful and best sports betting sites in the UK – is anticipating change in the state laws.
And when it comes, they will already be a well-established brand in not only San Antonio but throughout the state and the NBA.
It is also an investment – from the betting site – in the state of Texas.
They clearly see potential there, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see similar deals struck up elsewhere within Texas and most probably even further afield.
Currently, it is illegal to bet online within the state of Texas.
There are options to use offshore sports betting companies, but the law states that gambling is illegal.
The safest option to not fall foul of the state laws is not to gamble.
The state also has online blocking mechanisms to try and prevent bookmakers from operating online.
So if you are trying to bypass the regulations and place a bet, you need to bear this in mind.
The law does offer exceptions for fantasy sports and bingo.
The ‘Call Your Shot’ prediction game offered by the Spurs and bet365 would fall into the category of fantasy sports.
Not for a while is the short answer.
There were numerous gambling Bills under consideration during the state’s 2021 legislative session last May. But ultimately, they failed!
The lone star state has a long tradition of championing people’s individual freedoms to choose what they want to do.
But this clearly doesn’t extend to sports betting, where there is still an over-cautious approach within the powers-that-be towards sports betting.
There seems to be a battle taking place now.
On one side are the conservatives fighting against what they see as the evils of gambling. And on the other side, there are the reformists who see the tax-raising benefits it can bring.
The next legislative session that gambling can come under consideration isn’t sitting until May 2023. So there will be a long wait.
The pressure for change is now growing.
More and more legislators within the state are starting to see there are tax revenue-raising opportunities from legalizing betting.
The state’s leading sports franchises – and there are a lot of them – would all be interested in the potential revenue streams gambling would create for them.
And the sports franchises could be key. Dallas Cowboys (check out our NFL betting sites page for more offers) owner Jerry Jones is known to be keen.
And it is a given that Jones – along with other franchises – will be watching on with interest to see how the bet365/San Antonio Spurs partnership turns out.
The marketplace of DFS betting sites is very fast growing.
A DFS site is a Daily Fantasy Site, where users can predict outcomes, without wagering money on them.
For correct predictions, users can receive prizes and experiences. Some of these DFS sites are free to use, and some are fee-based.
Conservative legislators opposed to gambling are keeping a close eye on this situation. As things stand in Texas, Daily Fantasy Sites are legislated.
As more and more of them are now operated by sports betting sites, the suspicion is starting to be that this is an attempt to bring sports betting in through the back door.
And you can see why.
Anti-betting legislators feel that after a couple of years of DFS sites growth, the argument will be that we are effectively already betting anyway, so why not just complete the process, and put it into law.
Daily Fantasy Sites are excellent fun though and with the San Antonio Spurs/bet365 link up, I would expect even more to come online in Texas soon.
They are also a great way for online sportsbooks to gain a foothold and improve brand awareness, ahead of a potential change in the law.
About the Author
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering. Although Dean's preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport. Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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