Poker is among the most popular card games in the United States. In fact, according to a YouGov survey, 60% or more than half of Americans have played poker, highlighting the card game’s broad appeal. When it comes to specific states, laws and regulations surrounding poker and other kinds of gambling vary, with some states enjoying more leniency than others. Among these is Texas – the birthplace of the card game’s most famous variant.
Texas has a relatively vibrant poker scene, despite existing regulations that are particularly strict on gambling and betting. The Lone Star State is known for having a thriving poker landscape, from card rooms to online sites. This is made possible by reliable and safer alternatives catering to Texan poker enthusiasts’ needs, with Americas Cardroom being at the forefront.
Brief History
Texas has played a significant role in the development of poker. Existing records show that the first hand of Texas Hold’em was played in the Texas town of Robstown in the early 1900s. This claim was recognized by a resolution crafted by the Texas state legislature in 2007, despite it being hotly contested. Even before Texas Hold’em was popularized in Las Vegas card rooms in the 1960s, professional card players’ accounts indicate that they first became aware of the card game’s variant as early as 1926 in Dallas. In the late 1950s, it was already being played across different parts of the state, including Waco and Corpus Christi.
The state has also witnessed the development of casinos and gambling rooms. In 2014, proposed zoning changes in the Stockyards provided opportunities to establish casinos and bring gambling to Fort Worth. After the Fort Worth City Council changed the city’s zoning from heavy industrial to mixed-use/planned development, residents worried about developers creating a space for casinos that would compromise the Stockyards’ distinct cowboy culture. Despite some opposition from locals, Stockyards now houses several casinos and gambling rooms, including Billy Bob’s Texas, which features a casino arcade, and River Ranch Stockyards, which offers casino games.
But is poker completely legal in Texas? Here’s what you need to know:
Existing Legislation
Although the Lone Star State is known as the birthplace of Texas Hold’em, its gambling laws prohibit betting on card games. Casinos are illegal in Texas, but Native American lands are not subject to the state’s gambling laws, making casinos legal on native lands. Interestingly, while gambling is illegal in the state, there are around 60 private poker clubs in Texas operating in a legal gray area. Under state law, operating a card room is technically legal if it does not collect a rake or a commission fee to operate poker games. Gambling must be held within a private place, and the bet winners should be the sole recipients of any economic benefit.
While some card rooms operate in a legal gray area, establishing poker clubs in the state is still generally difficult. In 2024, the Farmers Branch City Council denied an ordinance seeking to legalize card rooms in the Dallas suburb with a 4-1 vote. This halted three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Doug Polk’s plans to build a 47,000-square-foot facility that would have housed an estimated 100 table games, including poker. Had it been approved, the facility would have been the largest card room in Texas.
While the strictness of the state’s gambling laws has limited options for cardrooms, it’s also paved the way for safer alternatives to emerge, with Americas Cardroom taking charge.
Stepping Up to the Plate
Since live poker clubs operate under restrictive state regulations, reputable sites are stepping up to provide real-money games to poker enthusiasts. Americas Cardroom has revolutionized online poker in Texas by offering opportunities for poker players to enjoy generous tournament guarantees and convenient cashouts from the comfort of their homes. Considered the top online poker choice for Texans in 2025, Americas Cardroom is an internationally licensed site that uses SSL encryption for enhanced security and audited RNGs that ensure fair play, making it a trusted and reputable platform. Thanks to the site, Texan poker gamers can play cash games and multi-table tournaments despite the lack of state-regulated online poker in Texas.
Aside from Americas Cardroom, live poker clubs are also making high-stakes tournaments more accessible to Texans. As mentioned, about 60 poker clubs are operating under a legal gray area in the state. Texas Card House is among the poker rooms in Texas that are enjoying legal operations. The poker club is located at Sam Moon Shopping Center in Dallas, where it operates 24/7. What makes it legal in Texas? Texas Card House Chief Operating Officer Ryan Crow explained in an NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth interview that the poker room is private, provides equal chances of winning to players, and does not gain economic benefit from the gambling activities it hosts.
Future of Gambling
Apart from existing poker regulations and online global sites that allow for a thriving poker scene, some legislators are pushing to legalize online sports betting. Several Texas sports betting bills have been filed in the Senate, particularly Sen. Juan Hinojosa’s Senate Joint Resolution 65 and Rep. Sam Harless’ House Joint Resolution 134. These bills seek to allow sports organizations to offer betting during specific sporting events. Rep. Charlie Geren’s House Joint Resolution 137 also proposes an amendment that would allow casino gaming and online sports betting in Texas. With state legislators on the move to further expand legal gambling opportunities in Texas, gaming enthusiasts can expect a potentially more lenient environment for gambling and table games like poker in the future.
Texas’s vibrant poker scene is thanks in no small part to reputable platforms such as Americas Cardroom and live poker clubs, which are bringing the card game’s thrill closer to a broader audience. And with more state lawmakers taking an interest in the industry, it’s likely that Texans may also be able to enjoy sports betting and other gambling opportunities in the future.
