Understanding the options: Is sports betting legal in Texas?
The short answer is no. Sports betting (both online and in-person) is still illegal in Texas, owing to Article III, Section 47 of the Texas Constitution, which outlaws most forms of gambling. This is only with a few constitutionally authorized exceptions, namely, the Texas Lottery, charitable bingo and raffles, and pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound racing, in person, at licensed racetracks.
That said, there are legal alternatives in Texas, namely, social sportsbooks (also called sweepstakes sportsbooks) that operate under US sweepstakes laws, using virtual currencies instead of real money. Typically, you get Gold Coins (GC) for fun and Sweeps Coins (SC), or an equivalent, for promotional mode; these can be accumulated and later redeemed for gift cards or cash prizes once you meet the relevant requirements.
This legally complies with Texas sweepstakes laws, and the laws in most other states, giving you the leeway to start placing social bets now without waiting for future legislation.
Pros and cons of Texas sports betting
Pros and Cons
- You get top-rated social sportsbooks
- These carry generous bonuses
- You can redeem your eligible SC for real prizes
- Traditional sports betting remains outlawed in Texas
Best Texas social betting sites – the top 5 legal alternatives
Now that you’re well informed of the legality element, we’ve compiled the
best social betting sites
in Texas that you can get started with. These include top picks like Fliff, Legendz, Onyx Odds, Prophet X, and Thrillzz, each with its own strengths.
Fliff – Enjoy a classic social betting experience
Fliff: Pros & Cons
- Play for free or compete for real cash prizes
- Fantastic social sportsbook
- Major sports covered
- Great welcome bonus
Kicking off the list is Fliff, arguably, the most popular sweepstakes-style social sportsbooks in the US. Unlike competitors that primarily focus on player props or a DFS tangent, Fliff stands out for its social betting layout reminiscent of traditional sportsbooks. This includes all the go-to markets, such as moneylines, point spreads, totals (over/under), player props, parlays, same-game parlays, and in-play social bets.
Launched in 2019, the Fliff app uses Fliff Coins for fun social bets, and Fliff Cash (Sweepstakes Coins) for promotional entries. In terms of coverage, it features all the major US leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, plus college sports, soccer, and more. All with the aforementioned social betting markets, and wrapped in strong social features, like leaderboards, friend challenges, badges, community picks, and the XP-based reward system.
Bonus-wise, you’re eligible for 5,000 Fliff Coins and 1 Fliff Cash signup offer. Bonuses for existing bettors include daily login bonuses (5,000 Fliff Coins and 1 bonus Fliff Cash), two-hourly bonuses, daily challenges, social giveaways, and referral rewards.
Legendz – all-in-one social sportsbook and sweepstakes casino hybrid
Legendz: Pros and Cons
- Available in most US states
- User-friendly interface
- 24/7 live chat support
- Top sports coverage
- Can be tricky for new players
Launched in late 2024, Legendz has quickly gained traction for its social sportsbook with a sweepstakes casino tie-in (it’s an all-in-one platform); all using common dual-virtual currencies for your social bets, namely, Gold Coins for fun and Sweeps Coins for promotional or sweepstakes social bets. And unlike Fliff’s mobile-only restriction, Legendz is accessible via desktop and mobile browser, making it a popular pick in Texas and
Virginia social sports betting
alike.
Speaking of the social sportsbook, you get one of the widest selections, supporting 33+ categories including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, soccer, esports, and more, with pre-match and in-play options for social sports picks. This is in addition to go-to markets like moneylines, spreads, totals, player props, and parlays. On bonuses, you start off with a 500 Gold Coins and 3 bonus Sweeps Coins signup offer. Other offers include daily login rewards, referral bonuses, daily races, early settlement promos, social giveaways, and occasional contests.
Onyx Odds – no-frills professional website
Onyx Odds: Pros and Cons
- Generous promotions
- Popular sports to choose from
- Diverse payment options
- Loyalty program
Next in line, we have Onyx Odds. This is a 2024-launched social sportsbook that sets itself apart with a clean, well-organized website and perhaps the lowest prize redemption thresholds yet in the industry. But first, the basics. Onyx Odds mimics what you’d get with traditional sportsbooks, covering 20+ markets, including US major leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA, plus soccer (La Liga, UCL, MLS), tennis, UFC, MMA, boxing, and more niche offerings.
Across-the-board, you’re getting go-to markets like moneylines, spreads, totals, player props, parlays, and live or in-play options. You can make your picks using Onyx Coins for fun, or Onyx Cash (Sweeps Coins equivalent) for promotional use. You get these via bonuses, like the 1,000 Onyx Coins signup offer. On regular bonuses, you’ve got referral promos, weekend boosts, social giveaways, and mail-in offers. Also, no Onyx Odds app is available; only the desktop and mobile-first browser site. This is not uncommon; we found many platforms with no apps when checking out
Indiana social sports betting
as well.
As for Onyx Cash redemptions, these start at a low threshold of 20 eligible Onyx Cash, albeit with profile verification required.
ProphetX – peer-to-peer social sportsbook exchange
Prophet X: Pros and Cons
- Exchange-style betting model
- Available in most U.S. states
- Strong mobile app experience
- Welcome bonus requires purchase
- No live chat support
On to “disruptors,” we have the 2024-launched ProphetX, which uses a peer-to-peer exchange model: instead of making picks against the house, you trade predictions directly with other users. So, you can either “back” an outcome (predict it will happen) or “lay” (predict it won’t happen). Benefits include better odds, as “commissions” or Vig are not applied. You can also request your own odds, and it has “liquidity indicators,” showing how much virtual currency is available to be matched at certain odds, much like a financial trading platform.
Making your social picks is done via a two virtual currency system. Herein, you have Prophet Points (PP) as your free or social virtual currency, and Prophet Cash (PC), which is redeemable for real prizes, with the lowest minimum threshold on record at just a 1 PC, beating even Onyx Odds. On bonuses, new users get a referral program, daily rewards, regular Prophet Boosters, social giveaways, and the option to request a mail-in bonus.
Coverage-wise, you get all the major sports and leagues, like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, plus soccer (Premier League, La Liga, MLS), tennis, golf, and UFC. Markets are just as varied with options for moneylines, spreads, totals, player props, same-game parlays, futures, and in-play picks. ProphetX is by far the most unique platform listed in this guide, and worth a check if you’re looking for a change of pace.
Thrillzz – mobile-only social sportsbook with a squads system
Pros and Cons
- You get a very generous welcome bonus
- Real cash prizes can be won
- Covers a wide array of popular leagues and sports
- Easy-to-navigate mobile app for easy play
- No desktop site available
- Limited payment options
Lastly, we have Thrillzz, a 2024-launched mobile-only sweepstakes sportsbook best known for its “Squads” system. This allows users to create or join Squads and share picks directly with friends, celebrate successful social bets in a group chat, or compete as a team on global leaderboards. So, on how it works, Thrillzz uses a three virtual currency system with Thrillzz Coins (TC) for entertainment-only social picks, Thrillzz Sweeps (TS) for making sweepstakes-style social bets, netting your Prize Tickets on successful picks. The Prize Tickets (PT) are redeemable for real prizes once you meet a threshold of 50 PT.
Bonus-wise, Texans are eligible for a 3,000 TC and 3 TS sign-up offer, alongside daily login rewards (spin a prize wheel), loyalty level-ups, referral bonuses, and more. In terms of coverage, it supports 10+ sports, including major leagues like the NFL, NBA, NCAA, MLB, NHL, and MLS, as well as tennis, soccer, MMA, UFC, and boxing. All the go-to markets are here too, including moneylines, spreads, totals, props, parlays, futures, and in-play markets.
Odds are competitive too, with real-time updates and live stats.
Comparing the best Texas social sportsbooks – side-by-side
Having covered what to expect, like we did with
Michigan social sports betting, here’s a side-by-side comparison of these standout picks, including their key features to help you narrow down your choice.
| Feature |
Fliff |
Legendz |
Onyx Odds |
ProphetX |
Thrillzz |
| Launch year |
November 2019 |
November 2024 |
October 2024 |
September 2024 |
February 2024 |
| Virtual currencies |
Fliff Coins + Fliff Cash |
Gold Coins + Sweeps Coins |
Onyx Coins + Onyx Cash |
Prophet Points + Prophet Cash |
Thrillzz Coins + Thrillzz Sweeps + Prize Tickets |
| Free welcome bonus |
5,000 Fliff Coins + 1 bonus Fliff Cash |
500 Gold Coins + 3 bonus Sweeps Coins |
1,000 Onyx Coins |
n/a |
3,000 TC + 3 TS |
| Min. SC redemption |
50 Fliff Cash |
Varies (typically 50-100 SC) |
20 Onyx Cash |
1 Prophet Cash |
50 Prize Tickets |
| Sports coverage |
20+ (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, etc.) |
30+ (Major leagues + props/parlays) |
20+ (deep NFL/NBA/soccer/UFC) |
15+ (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, tennis, golf, UFC) |
10+ major (strong NFL/NBA focus) |
How to get started with the best social sportsbooks in Texas
We have gone at length on the strict gambling laws in Texas, why social sportsbooks are a fully legal alternative, and what to expect with the top picks, going from Fliff to Legendz, Onyx Odds, Prophet X, and finally Thrillzz. All that remains is getting started. Remember, just as there were for
Tennessee social sports betting, there are a few requirements to meet in Texas. These include the legal minimum age requirement, which is 18+ for Texas social bettors (or 19+ on some apps).
After all, this will crop up in later stages, during profile completion or KYC verification for SC redemption. Now that we’re on the same page, here are the steps to getting started. Begin by narrowing down on your ideal pick, then:
-
Click on the on-page banners next to your chosen platform (say, Thrillzz, Onyx Odds, Prophet X, etc). This automatically applies the respective signup bonus and redirects you to the official website.
-
Once on the landing page, you can continue with the mobile browser site if supported, or download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, as most platforms are mobile-first or app-only.
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Preliminaries cleared, tap the “Sign Up” or “Register” tab to open the signup form and choose your State from the dropdown list if prompted.
-
Then create your username and password combination.
-
After that, proceed to fill in your particulars, including your full name, date of birth, email, phone number, residential address, and SSN. Then tap on “Verify My Identity” or an equivalent at the bottom.
-
Having verified your identity, you can log in to your profile. Voila, your bonus will be loaded and ready to use. Say the 5,000 Fliff Coins + 1 bonus Fliff Cash signup offer or 3,000 TC + 3 TS, with Thrillzz.
-
Bonus at hand, all that remains is to make your first social pick on local favorites, like the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Astros, Dallas Mavericks, or FC Dallas.
-
Lastly, you can redeem eligible Sweeps Coins or an equivalent for real prizes once you meet the minimum requirements.
Remember, the steps may vary from platform to platform, but the must-meets remain the same. So, be sure to cross-reference with the above for clarity.
Get started with these legal Texas social sportsbooks
Social sportsbooks are a great tool for sports fans in Texas, given that traditional sportsbooks are not allowed in the state. Social sportsbooks are fully legal and provide a free way to place social bets. And get the chance to later redeem eligible SC for prizes once the requirements are met.
On those sites, you get a regular supply of bonuses that refill your Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC) for continued entries. These allow you to keep placing social bets without ever having to spend money on the site. You can top up your GC balance if you run out of the virtual currency, but doing so is always optional.
Once on board, you get coverage for all the major US leagues, like the NFL, NBA, NCAA, MLB, NHL, and MLS, plus tennis, soccer, MMA, UFC, and boxing, as well as international markets and niche sports. Market options are also good, including go-to options like moneylines, spreads, totals, props, parlays, futures, and in-play events. In short, you’ll find nearly all the options you’d get from a traditional sportsbook, only you’ll be placing social bets using virtual currencies here.
Want to give a social sportsbook a try? All that remains is to go through our recommended list, make your pick, and use the on-page banners to get started. Using our links will also make sure you activate the latest welcome bonus available on the respective social sportsbook.
Get off to a great start with these social sportsbook bonuses
1.
Get your 10 SC FREE + 220,000 Gold Coins
Playthrough: 1x Bonus
2.
Spend $10 Get 200 in Bonus Picks
3.
Get 100% on any coins purchase up to $100
4.
Sport Welcome Bonus: 5 SC FREE Play
5.
100% Purchase Match up to $100
FAQs about social sports betting in Texas
🏈 Can you place sports bets in Texas?
No, you can not. Traditional sportsbook and retail sports betting is outlawed in the state. However, you can make social sports picks using virtual currencies at top-rated Texas social sportsbooks. When the requirements are met, you’ll be able to redeem SC – or an equivalent virtual currency – for real prizes on these sites.
📱 Are sports betting apps legal in Texas?
No, traditional sports betting apps are not legal in Texas. That being said, if you want to make social sports picks on your mobile for free, social sportsbooks like Fliff, ProphetX, and Thrillzz are a great place to start. These come with dedicated iOS and Android apps you can download for on-the-go social betting.
🏆 Which are the best Texas social betting sites?
The list of legal TX social sportsbooks is long, but Fliff, Legendz, Onyx Odds, ProphetX, and Thrillzz are arguably the top picks to go with, each having a specialty it excels in. Fliff for its traditional vibes, Legendz as an all-in-one hybrid, ProphetX as a peer-to-peer social sportsbook exchange, and beyond. It all boils down to what you’re looking for.
🎁 How do I get prizes from social betting in Texas?
You can’t get prizes directly from social bets in Texas. Instead, social sportsbooks allow you to place bets using virtual currencies, often called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins (SC). If you place a social bet using SC and win, you’ll get SC winnings back. Those can be redeemed for real prizes once the relevant requirements are met. Often, this includes having to accumulate a minimum amount of SC, and needing to complete KYC verification.
