Key Points
- Real money sports betting is illegal in Texas
- Social sportsbooks and associated apps are legal in Texas
- The best social sportsbook apps legal in Texas are Sports Millions, Sportzino, Fliff, Rebet, and Vivid Picks
Local laws in Texas prohibit the operation of real-money online casinos, so would-be bettors in the state must explore other alternatives. One such alternative is social sports betting sites with sports betting apps legal in Texas.
I’ll walk you through Texas’ stance on real money gambling, show you a workaround, and describe five alternatives you can explore if you’re looking to enjoy sports betting without breaking Texas laws or spending real money. You’ll also find answers to burning questions you might have about legal sports betting in Texas.
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How sports betting works in Texas
The Texas Penal Code Chapter 47 outlaws all forms of real money gambling, so you’d be breaking the law if you placed a real money sports bet within the State of Texas. However, there are exceptions to the state’s laws about real-money gambling, and certain forms of “gambling” are permitted within the state. These include:
- Sweepstakes promotions (free-to-play models)
- Lotteries
- Pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound dog racing
- Bingo and raffles for charity
- Native American casino
Free-to-play gaming models are popular in Texas and are either found at online sweepstakes casinos or online social sportsbooks. You can find more info about how sweepstakes casinos work from this
Texas sweepstakes casino guide, but in the meantime, let’s look at how online social sportsbooks work.
Social sportsbooks to the rescue
Social sportsbooks, which are legal in Texas, allow bettors to place sports bets using virtual currencies instead of real money. This is a fun alternative to conventional sports betting, as it offers social interaction and the potential to redeem SC winnings for real prizes.
The legality of these sites is built around the idea of not needing initial purchases to participate in the site’s offerings. Since virtual credits are legal in Texas and are used instead of real money at these sites, you’ll get a freemium sports betting experience without breaking any laws. All you’d have to do is sign up to these sites, claim your free virtual credit and explore the sites’ sports betting offers.
Although social sportsbooks often offer Gold Coin purchase deals to extend your gameplay, these purchases are non-mandatory, and you don’t need them to explore the bookies’ offers. However, you’d need to stick to the terms and conditions of the offers and abide by the rules governing the bookies operations.
One place to get updates about the legal status of social sportsbooks in Texas is
Ballislife News. The site offers all the latest info about all things sports betting in the US.
How do legal sports betting apps in Texas work?
Most social sportsbooks in Texas offer a mobile gaming experience where bettors can explore their services via mobile devices. In addition to being mobile-optimized, these
legal betting sites
offer native apps with great functionality, top-rate usability, app-specific perks, and the convenience of enjoying a top-notch social betting experience on the go–whether you’re an iOS or Android user.
The apps are free to download and easy to download and install on your device. However, you’d need to regularly update these apps to get the latest security updates and fully experience their functionality. Considering several social sportsbook apps are legal in Texas, how do you choose the best one for you? Keep reading.
How to find the best legal sports betting apps in Texas
I’ve figured out a couple of ways to find sports betting apps in Texas without breaking any local laws. Here goes:
✅ Make sure the site is legit and secure
Before signing up for a social sportsbook, I check to see if it’s from a verified site with a verifiable address and owners. I also check what other bettors say about the app and if it runs a free-to-play model compliant with local Texas laws. All the best social sportsbook sites offer information about their apps’ operations, and you can get online reviews about the app on the Google Play Store, the Apple Store, or from sites like Trustpilot. Run for the hills if you can’t find verifiable info about the app.
You should also avoid apps that require you to make purchases or deposits, as these are illegal in Texas.
Check what its offers are. You should also look up the sports events covered by the
social betting app, the available markets, and the odds offered. Most sports betting apps offer competitive odds on the available sports so players can have a great betting experience. They also provide a wide range of betting markets for their bettors to explore.
Confirm what the system requirements are. Social sports betting apps have different requirements. Some sites offer apps for various mobile operating systems, while others offer apps for only specific users and support specific software versions. Before opting for a sports betting app, check if your mobile device ticks all the system requirement boxes.
What’s the app’s usability like? One of the biggest selling points of a mobile app is how easy it is to use. You wouldn’t want an app with great betting offers but difficult to use. Thankfully, you can get an idea of an app's usability by looking up the opinions of other bettors who have used it. I only install sports betting apps legal in Texas with great usability reviews. It saves me a lot of hassles and ensures I have a great time making sports predictions on the go.
Check if the mobile payment methods are convenient. Not all payment methods are available on sports betting apps. While some offer card payments, bank transfers, e-wallets, and cryptocurrency, some only offer a handful of these methods. You might wonder why you’d need payment methods at a social sportsbook, but here’s the thing: you might need to make non-mandatory Gold Coin purchases or redeem your Sweeps Coin winnings for real prizes. In either case, you’d need to do so with a convenient payment method, so always check if the app supports your payment method.
Are there app-specific bonuses and perks? Making free sports predictions on the go is fun, and getting app-specific rewards while at it feels great. If I had two equally great apps, but one offered bonuses and perks while the other didn’t, I would almost always choose the app with the bonuses and perks.
How great is the live stream? You’ll get to live stream and place live bets on most social betting apps, but here’s the thing: how data-efficient is it to do these things? With some apps, you need a large amount of data, while others don’t require as much data. Again, you can get all the information about how great live streaming and live bets are on an app by checking what other bettors say. You can then make an informed decision based on these reviews.
Is there support on the app? You might encounter a challenge while using a free sports betting app. If this happens, you’ll need prompt support right on the app. Before downloading an app, find out if there’s in-app support and how to access it.
Now you know how to pick some of the best sports betting apps legal in Texas. Here are 5 alternatives you can try right now that are legal + free in Texas in 2025.
| App | Offer | Promo Code |
| Sports Millions | 1,000 GC + 3 SC | No promo code |
| Fliff | 5,000 Fliff Coins + a 100% matched coin purchase offer | BILFLIFF |
| Rebet | 100 Rebet Coins + 1 Rebet Cash | No promo |
| Sportzino | 170,000 Gold Coins + 7 Sweepstakes Coins | No promo code needed |
| Vivid Picks | 100% matched deposit bonus of up to $100 | No promo code needed |
Sports Millions – Great DFS app
Pros & Cons of SportsMillions Casino
- Free-to-play model
- Sweepstakes Coins can be redeemed for cash prizes
- Both DFS and casino-style games available
- Daily bonuses and ongoing promotions available
- Not available in all US states
Visit SportsMillions
You can explore the Sports Millions using Daily Fantasy Pick'em contests or Blitz'em games. However, I recommend using the Blitz’em games in Texas since you’ll get to bet for free using virtual currencies like Gold Coins (GC) and Sweepstakes Coins (SC).
New bettors get a welcome bonus of 1,000 GC + 3 SC without a promo code. All you’d have to do is sign up, claim your welcome bonus, and use your GC or SC to enter a contest.
You’ll then be automatically assigned both your potential prize and lineup, after which you’ll wait for the real-time outcome of each fixture to see if you’ve won. Its superb usability and top-tier functionality make it a great DFS app. I like how you can enjoy every feature available on the website on this app such as checking player stats in DFS contests.
Sportzino – Special app-based rewards
Sportzino: Pros & Cons
- Top welcome promotion
- All-in-one social sportsbook and casino
- Realistic sports betting experience
Visit Sportzino
Sportzino doesn't offer a dedicated app but a PWA, which provides the same user experience as a standalone application and is available for Android and iOS devices. Although the site offers only a PWA, there are special app-based promotions and bonuses available if you use it.
New bettors get up to 170,000 Gold Coins (GC) + 7 Sweepstakes Coins (SC) to explore sports betting in all sports leagues or play 1,000+ casino games. The site also offers seasonal promotions to its users.
Sportzino offers plenty of ways to bet on games, such as Moneylines, Totals, and Spreads, among others. There’s also live betting and streaming for esports enthusiasts.
Fliff – Loads of competitive odds
Fliff: Pros & Cons
- Great welcome bonus
- Dedicated mobile app
- Play for fun or cash prizes
- Great social sportsbook experience
Visit Fliff
The Fliff app offers access to an impressive variety of betting lines for sporting events in leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. It’s available for iOS and Android users. Like the other legal sports betting apps in Texas in this review, it is easy to download and install and offers a top-rate user experience.
You can also use the bonus code BILFLIFF to unlock a welcome offer of 5,000 Fliff Coins + 1 Fliff Cash and a 100% matched Fliff Coin purchase offer. However, participation in its sweepstakes promotions is limited to specific states so you can only claim Fliff Cash if you reside in the eligible states. You won’t be able to claim Fliff Cash or redeem it for real prizes if you live in Washington, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, or Tennessee. Overall, the app’s betting features and ease of use make it one of Texas's more popular free sports betting apps.
Rebet – Great peer-to-peer betting
Rebet: Pros & Cons
- Unique social betting features
- Daily login bonus
- Community-building app
- Win real rewards
- No real customer reviews yet
The Rebet app differs from the other apps in this review for two reasons. First, it’s an app-based social sportsbook, and its desktop version leads bettors to the app. Second, it offers peer-to-peer betting where bettors can bet against their friends. The app offers 60+ sports events, multiple betting lines and in-app support available via email or live chat.
It’s also easy to download and install on iOS and Android devices, and you’ll get 100 Rebet Coins + 1 Rebet Cash every day you log in to the site. There’s no promo offer, but you can redeem your Rebet Cash winnings for real prizes.
Vivid Picks – Chat as you play
Pros & Cons of Vivid Picks
- Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
- Competitive welcome bonus up to $100
- Wide sports market coverage
- Over/Under and Versus contests
Vivid Picks is a great DFS app with a great design and impressive site navigation. One standout feature is its social aspect. The app features a feed of other users' picks, so you can easily filter the feed to find picks you like. You can also use their picks if you want. Bettors can even chat with each other on the app if they choose, making it one of my favorite sports betting apps legal in Texas.
The app is available on Google Play and the Apple Store. New bettors can claim a 100% matched deposit bonus of up to $100 and explore head-to-head contests and traditional pick’em. It covers College Basketball, College Football, Counter-Strike 2, Golf, League of Legends, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, NHL, Soccer, and UFC.
Here’s how the top 5 alternatives to sports betting apps in Texas compare to each other:
| App | Offer | Promo Code |
| Sports Millions | 1,000 GC + 3 SC | No promo code |
| Fliff | 5,000 Fliff Coins + a 100% matched coin purchase offer | BILFLIFF |
| Rebet | 100 Rebet Coins + 1 Rebet Cash | No promo |
| Sportzino | 170,000 Gold Coins + 7 Sweepstakes Coins | No promo code needed |
| Vivid Picks | 100% matched deposit bonus of up to $100 | No promo code needed |
Conclusion – Have fun at legal sports betting apps in Texas
Although real-money gambling is illegal in Texas, you can explore freemium sports betting at social sportsbooks. These sites offer a free and legal alternative to real-money bookies and often offer great apps for on-the-go sports betting.
Choosing the best of these apps is easy once you take the steps I described in the article. Better still, I’ve reviewed 5 great apps that are legal for sports betting in Texas. If you’re looking to explore great sports betting while on the right side of Texas gambling laws, check out any of the apps reviewed in this article.
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