While sports betting in Texas is not legal, several sites offer alternatives to traditional straight bets in the form of daily fantasy sports pick’em apps or social sportsbooks. Each of these wagering apps also offers welcome bonuses and promotions to new users in Texas. Note that you must be 18 or older to compete in free-to-play contests and 21 or older to enter contests involving real money. 

1
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The expanded College Football Playoff is kicking off this weekend, with four teams on byes and eight teams set to compete in first-round matchups. The Texas Longhorns have secured the No. 5 seed and are heavy favorites as they prepare to play host to the No. 12 Clemson Tigers Saturday at 3 p.m. CT with TNT on the broadcast.

The tournament will continue with quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve and Day, semifinals on Jan. 9 and 10, and the NCAA championship game on Jan. 20. Sportsbooks will offer odds and sportsbook promos on each game and on NCAA futures. Texas is tied with Oregon as the favorite with +360 odds to win it all at some sportsbooks. Below, we cover the best alternatives for Texas sports betting.

If you are looking for a great free option to get in the action, check out TheLines free to play College Football challenge. TheLines is a sister site to LegalSportsReport.com.

Best sites to wager on the College Football Playoff in Texas

Fliff

At Fliff, users compete against one another by making picks on sides, totals, or props for professional or college sporting events. Users can participate in free-to-play contests involving Fliff Coins or contests with Fliff Cash, which is redeemable at a 1:1 rate with real money after meeting a playthrough requirement. Correct picks move customers up the leaderboard in contests, earning more Fliff Cash and XP, which they can exchange for prizes such as gift cards at restaurants. 

Through the end of December, new users can sign up using the code SPORTSBONUS to receive $50 in Fliff Cash and $100 Fliff Coins with their initial deposit. Download the Fliff app and use the promo code to unlock the bonus. 

Underdog Fantasy

Underdog offers daily fantasy sports contests via a draft format and pick’em contests where users pick player props. 

In the draft contests, users pick players from a given selection — such as Saturday’s College Football Playoff games — in a snake draft format. Teams are locked once they’re picked, and the highest scoring teams win a share of the prize pool. The pick’em contests require users to pick over or under on a given player’s prop, or to pick between which of two players will have a better performance in a head-to-head proposition. 

Using promo code LSRBET, new users at Underdog Fantasy can receive a 50% first deposit bonus match up to $50 with a minimum deposit of $10. So a $200 deposit would generate $100 in the form of Underdog bonus credit, and a $10 deposit would generate $5 in bonus funds. Those funds expire within 60 days of Underdog issuing them. 

Sleeper

Sleeper is another pick’em contest app that offers player propositions for users to choose the over or under in a given set of picks. Users draft a team based on those statistical predictions and can choose between two and eight players to fill out a pick set. 

The more correct picks relative to other peers in the contest, the higher the payout. The maximum payout is 100x the entry fee in this peer-to-peer platform. Sleeper offers a deposit match up to $1,500 in bonus funds for new users when they sign up with the promo code LSRBET.

Betr

On Betr Picks, users select “yes” or “no” on whether a player will exceed a stat line that the site sets. Users can make up to eight selections or make as few as two, with payouts varying based on how many selections are correct. All picks must be correct to earn a share of the prize pool in this format. 

The promo code LSRBET will qualify new users in Texas for a $200 deposit match bonus in Betr Bucks if they sign up and deposit at least $10. Users must play through the amount of their initial deposit before withdrawing any winnings. 

Sports Millions

At Sports Millions, users can go for huge payouts by selecting up to 12 picks on player stats in a given pick set to potentially generate a 1,500x payout. The platform offers contests for picks on anywhere between two and 12 props, with free-to-play and cash contests available. 

New users can use the promo code PLAYBONUS to be eligible for $10 with a first deposit of $10. Sports Millions also offers other options, including a social casino and Blitz’em.

Betting on the CFB Playoff in Texas FAQ

Can I bet on the College Football Playoff in Texas?

While you can’t bet on college sports in Texas through a traditional sportsbook, there are several options for pick’em contests or daily fantasy contests that offer propositions and payouts similar to what you might see at traditional online sportsbooks. 

Why can’t I bet on the Texas Longhorns in Texas?

In 2023, the Texas Senate did not consider a sports betting bill, HB 1942, after it made it through the House. The bill was introduced on Feb. 6, 2023, with the backing of major sports teams in the state, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said there was not enough support in the Senate to consider the bill. The state Senate meets again in 2025.  

Where can I bet on the College Football Playoff in Texas?

Currently, sports betting is not legal in Texas. There are websites operating outside the country that might offer sports betting options to Texas residents, but these sites do not fall under any state or federal regulation, and using them can involve risks to your funds as well as to your personal and financial information.