Texas Online Casinos

The Lone Star State is one of the most restrictive in the country when it comes to gambling legislation. Online gambling is almost entirely illegal in Texas. Although there is some movement in Texas on the potential legalization of mobile sports betting, there doesn’t look to be any movement on legal online casinos for real money.

This means casino fans have to either visit one of the two brick-and-mortar Native American casinos in the state (which is not convenient for most Texans) or use social or sweepstakes casino websites.

Fortunately, one of the biggest social casino sites in Texas is a high-quality offering that provides engaging gameplay and good opening bonuses. Let’s take a closer look at the social and sweepstakes online casinos in Texas available now so you know what your options are if you want to have a good time.

The Best Social and Sweepstakes Casino Sites In Texas

Because social and sweepstakes casino sites are the only place to enjoy casino games or poker, many people probably want to know what the best casino sites in Texas are. While there are a few different options available to you in the Lone Star State, the best is Chumba Casino, which offers a variety of casino games.

As a brief overview, a social or sweepstakes casino site doesn’t allow you to wager real cash in any capacity. Instead, these sites are legal in Texas and other states because you use digital and valueless coins on the games. However, with one type of coin, usually called Sweeps Coins, you can redeem winnings for cash prizes.

Chumba Casino is a versatile and robust social casino site that offers several casino-style table games as well as some slots games. The next best two social casinos are LuckyLand Slots and Pulsz Casino.  Both of these sites also offer several fun options for games that fit any preference.

All of these websites have fantastic reviews and are appreciated throughout the country. Because they’ve enjoyed great success for years, you can rely on them to be excellent social casino experiences.

What Are The Bonuses At Sweepstakes Casinos In Texas?

Practically all real money casinos, social casinos, and sweepstakes gaming sites include opening bonuses for new players or accounts. These incentivize people to check out a new website or app. In the case of social and sweepstakes casinos, new users usually get some free coins just for signing up. They also usually get a discount if they choose to make a purchase. Here are the best bonuses at social and sweepstakes casinos in Texas:

Chumba Casino Bonus

When you create a new account at Chumba Casino, you get 2M FREE Gold Coins and 2 FREE Sweeps Coins. If you choose to make a purchase, you get $30 worth of Gold Coins for only $10. With that purchase, you also get 30 FREE Sweeps Coins. 

LuckyLand Slots Bonus

LuckyLand Slots has a similar but distinct opening offer to Chumba. Compared to its sister site, you get fewer FREE Gold Coins (7,777) but more FREE Sweeps Coins (10). You also get fewer Gold Coins with purchase, but the cost is lower.  You get 50,000 Gold Coins for $4.99 (normally $10). With the purchase, you get 10 FREE Sweeps Coins

Pulsz Casino Bonus

At Pulsz Casino you’ll find you get an excellent opening bonus when you purchase any $9.99 Gold Coin package. The casino will give you 15 Sweepstakes Coins for free with this purchase. Even better, new players get an additional 2.30 Sweepstakes Coins totally free when signing up with a new account.

Global Poker Bonus

Global Poker is another social casino option in Texas, but as the name suggests, it is focused on poker. There are a few other table games and slots, but poker is the main focus. Again, you play with digital coins, but you can ultimately trade in Sweeps Coins for cash prizes.

Like the other sites on this list, Global Poker also has a generous first purchase discount. With the promo code FLUSH, new users get 150,000 Gold Coins for $10 and also get 30 FREE Sweeps Coins.

Funzpoints Bonus

Funzpoints is a sweepstakes casino mostly focused on slots, but it also offers keno. To apply the Funzpoints bonus code, just use the exclusive link and visit the site. You will instantly get 250 Premium Funzpoints on signup, which is worth $2.50. Plus, you’ll be able to get a 100% first-purchase bonus match up to a maximum of $20, which is 2,000 Premium Funzpoints.

Sweepstakes CasinoChumba CasinoLuckyLand SlotsPulsz CasinoGlobal PokerFunzpoints
New signup offer2M FREE Gold Coins and 2 FREE Sweeps CoinsFREE 7,777 Gold Coins & 10 FREE Sweeps CoinsAll new players get 2.30 Free Sweepstakes Coins after sign upN/AAll new players get 250 Premium Funzpoints after sign up
First purchase discount10,000,000 Gold Coins for $10 (Normally $30) + 30 FREE Sweeps Coins50,000 Gold Coins for $4.99 (Normally $10) + 10 FREE Sweeps CoinsBuy $9.99 of Gold Coins, get 15 Sweepstakes Coins for freeGet 150,000 Gold Coins for $10 + get 30 FREE Sweeps Coins (use promo code FLUSH)Make any first purchase and get 100% match bonus up to $20

All in all, signing up for any of these well-established and popular casino-style websites should give you plenty of digital coins to enjoy while you wait for Texas lawmakers to get their act together and finally legalize online gambling!

Five Minute Guide To Social and Sweepstakes Casinos in Texas

What exactly are social/sweepstakes casino sites in Texas and why are they legal when other types of online gambling are still outlawed in the Lone Star State? Let us break down social/sweepstakes casinos in Texas for you now.

How Do Social and Sweepstakes Casinos Work In Texas?

Social and sweepstakes casinos in Texas work the same way as they do everywhere else. In a nutshell, state legislators in Texas and in many other states haven’t legalized online gambling. Although there has been movement in more than 20 states to permit online sports betting, online casino gambling is only allowed in a half dozen states.

Social and sweepstakes casinos are not the same thing, though, as regular online casinos. That’s because you can never put real money on the line. Instead, social and sweepstakes casinos only accept valueless Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins to play with (at Funzpoints, these are called Standard Funzpoints and Premium Funzpoints.) Even though you can redeem Sweeps Coins for cash prizes, you never bet with real money. Therefore, social/sweepstakes casinos are totally legal.

The second feature of social and sweepstakes casinos that makes them legal is that you can always play the casino-style games for free. You get free GC and SC in a variety of ways, including logging in daily, winning social media competitions, and completing a mail-in offer.  If you choose to purchase Gold Coins, you will often get FREE Sweeps Coins as well.  (You can never purchase Sweeps Coins. You always get those for free.)

How Do You Win Cash Prizes By Playing Online?

The answer to this one is fairly simple.  If you win with premium tokens (Sweeps Coins at most social or sweepstakes casino sites), you can redeem them for cash prizes.  You cannot redeem free SC; you have to play through at least once.

Sweeps Coins are redeemable at a 1:1 ratio.  So SC100 is eligible for a $100 cash prize. There is a minimum that you need to reach before you can redeem your Sweeps Coins.  For gift cards, the minimum can be as low as SC10 at some sites. However, most of the time, you need at least SC50 before you can process a redemption, especially if you want the redemption amount as a cash prize.

How Do You Access Social and Sweepstakes Casino Sites In Texas?

All social and sweepstakes casinos can be accessed via web browsers. The functions and look are the same on both desktop and mobile browsers. Some social casinos have mobile apps as well, such as LuckyLand Slots.

Fortunately, all social and sweepstakes sites are open 24/7, so you can enjoy high-quality casino-style games at any time of the day. All sites require you to sign up for an account that verifies your age and identity before you can purchase Gold Coin packages and start playing.

How Do Purchases Work At Texas’s Social and Sweepstakes Casino Sites?

Naturally, you’ll need to provide some banking information to make purchases at social/sweepstakes casino sites. You’ll also need to give the social/sweepstakes site in question your email address.

Gold Coins at social/sweepstakes casinos in Texas can be purchased through simple interfaces through packages (i.e. you cannot purchase a single Gold Coin). Gold Coin bundles are usually priced in increments of $5 or $10, such as $4.99 or $19.99. When you purchase a Gold Coin package, your account will automatically be credited with FREE Sweeps/Sweepstakes Coins; you don’t have to do anything extra.

Social/sweepstakes casinos generally accommodate the type of payment methods you expect from an online institution.  Credit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets are generally accepted.

How Do Redemptions Work At Texas’s Social and Sweepstakes Casino Sites?

Redemptions are very straightforward at social/sweepstakes casinos.  When you have enough for a redemption, simply click the redeem button and follow the steps. For your first redemption, you will need to provide some identification, per federal law.  But the site will walk you through exactly how to do so via email.  For subsequent redemptions, you simply need to choose your amount you would like to redeem and if you would like to do so as a bank deposit, gift card, etc.

What Is The Difference Between Social or Sweepstakes Casinos And Online Casino Sites?

The biggest and most obvious difference between social/sweepstakes casinos and regular online casino sites is that social/sweepstakes casinos don’t let you wager real money. Instead, you can only use valueless digital tokens to play casino-style games, like table games and slot machines.

Furthermore, you aren’t able to win real money through a social or sweepstakes casino site. But you can occasionally exchange your Sweeps Coins for cash prizes.

Because of this big difference, social/sweepstakes casino sites are used as fun or casual recreational activities instead of serious casino gambling. However, these sites are particularly popular in states like Texas because the state doesn’t allow you to participate in any real online gambling whatsoever.

Fortunately, social casino sites like Chumba and LuckyLand offer an excellent array of slot and table games, so you won’t feel like your selection suffers due to Texas’s strict gambling laws. Still, many classic online casino sites do offer a slightly higher variety of games since there are just more games created for cash wagering than otherwise.

Aside from the major wagering differences, the sign-up processes for social/sweepstakes casinos are essentially the same as cash casino sites. Both types of sites also offer fun promotions for both new and existing customers.

Status Of Online Gambling In Texas

At the moment, the online gambling industry in Texas has stagnated and does not look to be evolving anytime soon. Sports betting is the closest online gambling activity to being legalized, as a pair of recent bills are now being discussed in the state legislature, although the lieutenant governor has repeatedly mentioned his desire to prevent sports betting legalization.

However, there are a few options for online gambling in Texas at the time of this writing. You can place horseracing bets on online sites or apps like TVG. Furthermore, you can engage in DFS or daily fantasy sports from providers like DraftKings and FanDuel, as this activity technically does not count as gambling, just like social/sweepstakes casinos.

If you’re more of a cardplayer than a casino game connoisseur, you can check out Global Poker, which is the biggest and best social poker site in the United States. 

Is It Safe To Use Social and Sweepstakes Casinos In Texas?

Are Social and Sweepstakes Sites Legal in Texas?

Yes. Although Texas does not allow online gambling, social/sweepstakes sites do not constitute gambling with real cash. Users never play with real-world money, so they are completely legal.

Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Pulsz are all popular both in Texas and many other gambling restrictive states, such as California.

Can I Trust Social and Sweepstakes Sites To Pay My Winnings?

All of the above social and sweepstakes sites can be trusted to pay out any cash prizes you redeem. 

The Texas Lottery Commission regulates both the state lottery and social/sweepstakes casino websites. It ensures that social/sweepstakes casinos follow the law at all times. If you ever have a problem with getting your Sweeps Coins exchanged properly, you can contact them to find a legal resolution.

Do Social and Sweepstakes Sites Protect My Information?

All of the sites we recommend are equipped with state-of-the-art digital security. Again, the Texas Lottery Commission requires this. However, these sites are like any other company in that they are only as good as their reputation. So it is in their best interest to make sure to keep your information safe.

Bottom line: the sites we name here are all excellent social and sweepstakes casino sites in Texas, particularly compared to illegal or sketchy online casino platforms.

What Are The Types Of Games Available At Texas’s Social and Sweepstakes Casinos?

Chumba, Luckyland, and Pulsz all have both slots and table games.  As is the case with traditional online casinos, slots are the predominant game available on all three sites and blackjack is the most common table game.  However, at times, some of these sites have been known to offer other games as well, such as baccarat, craps, and casino hold’em. LuckyLand also offers instant win games, which resemble lottery-style scratch-offs.

Global Poker focuses, obviously, mostly on poker.  However, it also has a good selection of slots as well as both blackjack and casino hold’em. Indeed, if you want the largest variety of games, all in one platform, Global Poker is for you.

Funzpoints is devoted mostly to slots, but they also have several keno games.  Keno resembles bingo in some ways.  Players choose how many numbers they want to play, up to 20. A number generator picks numbers, and you hope to match. Payouts are based on how many numbers you played and how many matches you made.

Pulsz Casino has more than 200 slots available, which is more than twice as many as other sweepstakes casino sites. There are 20 jackpot slots, 9 Megaways, 30 Hold and Win slots, and a variety of others. There are also five distinct table games to choose from, including two blackjack variations, roulette, casino hold’em, and baccarat.

All of the slots available at social and sweepstakes casinos offer the same kind of graphics you expect from all the best games. You can find a variety of number of lines available. You can also choose between progressive jackpot slots and fixed payouts.

One of the few types of games missing from social and sweepstakes casinos is live dealer games. However, for the most part, just about any kind of game you enjoy is likely available at a sweepstakes or social casino—especially if you join them all.  Why not?  They are free to join, so you might as well increase your chances of winning.

Texas Sweepstakes Casinos FAQs

Is Chumba Casino available in Texas?

Yes. Chumba is a legal social casino and the sister website to LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker.

Is LuckyLand available in Texas?

Yes. It’s also a legal social casino that focuses mostly on high-quality slots games.

Can I win real money on social and sweepstakes sites?

No. Real money can never be wagered nor won on social or sweepstakes sites. However, you can win Sweeps Coins that can be exchanged for cash prizes after reaching a certain amount.

How old do I have to be to play at social and sweepstakes casino sites in Texas?

You need to be 18 years of age or older to play at social/sweepstakes casino sites in Texas and other states. 

Do social/sweepstakes casinos have live-dealer games?

Not at this time. However, it’s possible that a future sweepstakes casino site may implement these game types.

Do Texas’s social and sweepstakes sites have progressive jackpots?

Yes. All of the sites that we recommend have progressive jackpot slots. However, remember that these jackpots are for Sweeps Coins rather than real money.

About the Author

Amber Hoffman

Amber Hoffman is Managing Editor of TexasCasinos.com. She's spent the last decade developing content for sites in a variety of industries, including sports and gaming.