and Texas Revised Civil Statutes CIV STAT 179e et seq. Gambling in Texas is covered by Texas Penal Code PEN 47.01 et seq.
Placing an unlawful bet is considered a class C misdemeanor regardless of the gambling form. The same opinion states that people who engage in online gambling can’t argue that their activities fall under the exemption meant to facilitate private home games because gambling sites are available to the broader public. DM-344 issued by then-Attorney General Dan Morales declares that local law enforcement officials are expected to go after individual players. Gambling in Texas is defined as an “agreement to win or lose something of value solely or partially by chance,” and the Texas Attorney General’s Office made it clear in the early nineties that this also applies to internet games. The local Native American tribes operate two medium-sized casinos, but the government has been trying to eliminate this form of gambling from the state since 2002, shutting down one major casino and forcing the remaining two to limit the scope of their operations on several occasions. Legal gambling in Texas is limited to betting on horse and dog races, state-sanctioned lottery games, and charitable gaming.
