NFL Bettors Frozen Out in California, Texas, Missouri
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Football teams from California, Texas and Missouri are in this year’s NFL playoffs, vying for a spot in the Super Bowl, but people in those states will be unable to bet legally on the playoffs — and the Super Bowl.
In California and Texas, the nation’s two most populated states, sports betting is illegal. It also is 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 live in 38 states, including states that border California, Texas and Missouri.
California is home to 38.9 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Texas has a population of 30.5 million. Missouri’s population is 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 Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium just west of the Las Vegas Strip.
Sports betting is legal in the others states with teams in the playoffs.
NFL Playoff Schedule
Below is the schedule for this weekend’s NFL playoff games, with current odds for those interesting 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 provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
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 next 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.
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