NFL Bettors Frozen Out in California, Texas, Missouri

Article By

Larry Henry

Last Updated: Jan 19^th, 2024

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NFL Bettors Frozen Out in California, Texas, Missouri

Football teams from California, Texas, and Missouri are in this year’s NFL playoffs, but people in those states will be unable to bet legally on the playoffs—and the Super Bowl.

Sports betting is illegal in California and Texas, the nation’s two most populated states, and it is also against the law in Missouri.

That leaves millions of residents in these states out in the cold when it comes to sports betting unless they do so on illegal sites or travel to neighboring states where wagering is allowed. Sports betting is legal and exists in 38 states, including states that border California, Texas, and Missouri.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, California is home to 38.9 million people, Texas has 30.5 million, and Missouri has 6.1 million. These numbers are out of a total U.S. population of 335.9 million.

This weekend, the teams from California, Texas, and Missouri—the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, and Kansas City Chiefs—hope to take one more step on the road to Super Bowl LVIII. The game is scheduled to be played on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium just west of the Las Vegas Strip.

Sports betting is legal in the other states with teams in the playoffs.

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NFL Playoff Schedule

Below is the schedule for this weekend’s NFL playoff games, with current odds for those interested in NFL betting.

Saturday, Jan. 20

AFC Divisional Playoff

Houston Texans (10-7) at Baltimore Ravens (13-4), 4:30 ET p.m., ABC, ESPN. Baltimore is -9.5.

NFC Divisional Playoff

Green Bay Packers (9-8) at San Francisco 49ers (12-5), 8:15 p.m. ET, Fox. San Francisco is -9.5.

Sunday, Jan. 21

NFC Divisional Playoff

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) at Detroit Lions (12-5), 3 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock. Detroit is -6.5.

AFC Divisional Playoff

Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) at Buffalo Bills (11-6), 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS, Paramount+. Buffalo is -2.5.

Betting odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Uncertain Sports Betting Future

In California and Missouri, efforts to approve sports betting either through the ballot process (California) or legislatively (Missouri) have been unsuccessful in recent years. Efforts are underway again in both states to legalize sports betting, though it is unclear whether either state will green-light it this time around.

In Texas, where lawmakers have shot down measures to legalize sports betting, the issue is on hold until the Legislature meets in 2025 at the Capitol in Austin. Even if approved there, a public vote would be required before anyone could place a legal sports bet in Texas.