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While politicians in Austin are still trying to figure out if adults can be trusted with a parlay, on Wednesday, FanDuel Predicts launched in 13 new states, including in the Lone Star State. This brings the prediction market platform’s total reach to 18 states.
The app initially launched in just five states – Alabama, Alaska, North Dakota, South Carolina, and South Dakota – in December. All five either do not allow sports wagering or allow it only through retail casinos.
Now, FanDuel Predicts has added 13 more states – California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Texas, some of which do allow mobile sports betting.
Adding California, Florida, and Texas alone puts the platform in front of 90 million new potential traders.
FanDuel’s Texas gambit
FanDuel’s launch in Texas is part of a calculated strategy. FanDuel realized that 30 million Texans are tired of driving to Louisiana or Oklahoma to bet on sports. Since state lawmakers are perpetually stuck on traditional gambling bills, FanDuel found a back door to offer sports contracts, which are essentially sports wagering, to Texans.
There is an interesting “self-destruct” clause in this new product that every Texan needs to know about. FanDuel has been very clear that these sports contracts are only a temporary fix for non-legal states. If lawmakers actually get around to legalizing Texas sports betting, FanDuel will immediately stop offering those sports contracts here.
That said, some states FanDuel Predicts is currently operating in do offer traditional sports betting
Texas laws meet federal laws
A high-stakes collision between federal rules and the Texas Penal Code could be coming. While the Texas Constitution generally forbids gambling, Section 47.01 of the Penal Code specifically exempts “contracts of indemnity” and legitimate business transactions from the definition of an illegal bet.
While the suits in Washington argue about whether a “Yes” contract on a football game is a commodity or a bet, Texans will be busy trading their way through the playoffs.
In Texas, the timing of this launch is pure political comedy. Texans can now predict whether Attorney General Ken Paxton, a staunch anti-gambling advocate, will win his 2026 race.
