Texas Gambling News Archives - Page 7 of 8

Written By Chris Imperiale on January 29, 2022

The City of Dallas left card players with out a hand to play after revoking permits for the city's poker rooms.

Poker players in the city of Dallas may have to start looking for another way to play cards. Despite getting the proper permits to run regulated poker rooms, establishments like the Texas Card House are no longer allowed to host games.

The city decided to revoke these permits just a few months after approving them.

This decision affects both the owners of these gambling sites, along with the hundreds of patrons they see daily. Determined gamblers seek out illegal avenues since the Texas casino landscape is minimal and online wagering isn’t permitted yet.

That’s part of the reason these poker businesses were doing so well. Lone Star State residents finally had a place to go to bet on some poker.

Now, it seems that’s all coming to a halt for no particular reason.

Texas Card House CEO, Ryan Crow, discussed all the work that his operation did so that they could open the doors. According to CBS DFW, Crow said:

“We spent about 2-and-a-half years trying to find a location that we could open that the city approved of.”

Dallas stops poker rooms

The Texas Card House operates in a strip mall on the Harry Hines Boulevard in Northwest Dallas. Here, around 400-500 guests play Texas Hold’em each day.

As opposed to taking a portion of the money wagered on every hand, customers must pay $13 each hour for a spot at a table.

Along with the search for a proper poker house venue, Crow described the many long meetings needed with the city to move things along. However, it now appears that lawmakers in Dallas are now retracting poker permits in the blink of an eye.

Poker houses told that licenses are invalid

Owners of poker establishments got letters stating their licenses for “keeping a gambling place” are no longer valid.

Of course, the announcement upset plenty of others, too.

Omar Narvaez, the District 6 City Councilman, discussed his displeasure with how the city handled the situation. He said:

“I think it’s unfair that all of the sudden all of these COs (certificates of occupancy) for all these card rooms have suddenly been revoked. Unfortunately our city attorney has decided to change the idea of what he believes constitutes card rules according to the law.”

Crow and other owners are hoping this isn’t the final resolution, though. They intend to appeal the ruling at the Texas Card House, mentioning that more than 200 people will be let go if it is no longer running.

Then there are all of the patrons. Legal poker rooms provided a safe place to do something they love in a state that doesn’t offer much else in terms of gambling.

Folks like Steven Gribin must look for alternatives in order to find a card game with this recent news. He said:

“I’m retired and I like playing cards. It keeps my head going, it keeps me aware.”

It’s clear that this recent decision is going to impact many in the Dallas area. Perhaps the appeal will work when those in charge understand all the people this reversal affects.

Photo by Roman R / Shutterstock.com

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By Chris Imperiale on January 24, 2022

Houston Texans shared the love with fans at Game 18 with over 30k in prizes

Even though the Houston Texans didn’t have the best season, their fans saw more than $30,000 in gifts for Fan Appreciation Day during the final game in Week 18.

The Texans actually played well in the finale, giving the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the Tennessee Titans a good fight. Houston lost by a final of 28-25, but it was an encouraging game after lots of bad ones.

The defeat brings the Texans record to 4-13 for the year. They now own the third overall selection in this spring’s NFL Draft.

As the team looks ahead to next season, a total of 21 lucky fans are preoccupied with the prize they earned at the game.

Houston Texans’ Fan Appreciation Day caps of a week of events

There were several sizable rewards for those in attendance on Sunday, Jan. 9. While there were 21 giveaways overall, the seven at halftime were substantial. The giveaway was part of a week-long Fan Appreciation Week sponsored by Verizon.

There were a couple of different prizes based around vacationing and the NFL.

Caesars awarded one fan a three-night stay at any of their locations, while another attendee won a round-trip flight for two from United Airlines.

As for football, Bud Light gave away two tickets to Super Bowl LVI. Verizon also handed out 2022 season tickets to the Texans, in addition to a new 5g phone.

These other gifts at half included a 65” LED TV from Xfinity, a $1,000 H-E-B gift card, and a $750 voucher for Academy Sports and Outdoors.

That wasn’t all, either. Fourteen others received more for the franchise’s Fan Appreciation Day.

Most of the remaining rewards were of slightly less value, besides a few exceptions. One of which is the $400 gift card to the Texans’ team store, courtesy of Verizon.

The other giveaways included phone chargers, gift cards, and lottery tickets.

On top of all of these, five fans also had the opportunity to win $1 million from the Texas Lottery.

Houston Texans’ 2022 outlook

Despite a lackluster season that resulted in just four wins, the Texans have reason to believe things could look better next year.

Besides the quality draft choice that should net a cornerstone piece, Houston has several ways of improving itself this offseason.

To start, the Texans have almost $20 million in cap space, which can be used to bring in a couple of new faces.

They still have the rights to quarterback Deshaun Watson, who will likely return multiple picks and potentially a starter or two, as well. The talented signal caller is facing legal issues and didn’t play in a single game this season.

After a year without Watson, the front office is probably looking for a trade partner prior to April’s draft. If the Texans can get a good deal, they could help their roster immediately.

A new quarterback might be in the cards. However, based on the 2022 draft class and Davis Mills’ production, Houston could draft a variety of positions instead.

Mills is the team’s third-round pick from a year ago and he showed some signs with a limited offense. The rookie threw for around 2,700 yards in 13 contests, while completing nearly 67% of his passes.

This is even more impressive considering what Mills doesn’t have around him. Houston’s leading rusher was Rex Burkhead, with just 427 yards on the ground. All of its top three rushers averaged 3.5 yards per carry or fewer during the campaign.

Luckily, Mills should have receiver Brandin Cooks back on the roster. The wideout is under contract for one more season.

Cooks was the only player on Houston to record more than 35 receptions, as he led the team with 90 grabs for more than 1,000 yards.

Next season is still far off, but maybe it’s possible that Texas sports betting launches in time for Week 1. Houston should have a busy offseason and could potentially prove to be a live underdog in 2022.

Photo by AP Photo/Matt Patterson

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By Chris Imperiale on January 18, 2022

NJ resident places large online sports bet drawing attention

Although sports betting in Texas isn’t legal yet, many in the Lone Star State are hoping that changes soon. Once legal sportsbooks debut, bettors will have the opportunity to bet as little, or as much money on a game.

That’s what one bettor in New Jersey did recently when they wagered $66,500 on a college basketball game total.

Outside of the fact that this is a sizable bet, it was on an off-the-radar game involving a matchup between Southern and Texas Southern’s women’s teams.

Tipico Sportsbook in the Garden State accepted the wager on there being under 128.5 points in the contest. The final score resulted in 130 total points, making it a losing bet.

Of course, these sorts of situations raise some questions from regulators, who cleared the bet and didn’t find anything out of the ordinary during the actual game.

It also poses the discussion of whether or not more popular online sports betting apps should feature lower-tier events like this one.

NJ bettor loses big on strange wager

As soon as Tipico took the bet, it notified US Integrity, which is a firm based out of Las Vegas that screens the legal betting market for bizarre wagers. It then made the NJ regulators aware of the situation, which ended up being approved on all fronts.

The gamblers’ betting habits leading up to the notable wager was part of what was considered.

Tipico vice president of sportsbook, Andre Zammit, spoke about the operator’s reasoning behind taking the bet. According to ESPN, he said:

“It wasn’t out of the blue. It wasn’t a case of a $200, $300 [bettor] all of a sudden going ridiculously high money on something like this. This was a pattern for that particular customer.”

The sportsbook said the bettor began with $15,000 and won several bets to reach the $66,500 overall.

When Southern won by a final of 70-60, the NJ resident lost all of their winnings.

This wager was placed with Tipico, which many might be unaware of. The online book was one of the few options to actually have odds for this tilt or women’s college basketball in general.

None of the well-known platforms available in many states like DraftKings or FanDuel provided odds for it.

This is mostly because there isn’t much of an interest in these games from a betting standpoint. However, they also present a potential avenue for more wrongdoing and match-fixing.

Sports betting integrity

The president of US Integrity, Matthew Holt, was slightly amazed that Tipico accepted such a large bet on a market like that.

He discussed how this might not be the best practice for sportsbooks. Holt said:

“The lower the level of the event, there’s always the opportunity for nefarious activity. Let’s face it, these young women in this event probably aren’t being drafted into the WNBA. And they’re probably not getting big NIL deals; thus, they’re naturally more vulnerable to potential bribes.”

While this specific game wasn’t an issue, there are signs that Holt and his company look for to determine if something suspicious is happening. He continued:

“In general, I don’t ever believe that big bets are a threat on their own. If we see a game that typically would attract zero bets has five bets at four different properties totaling 150 grand, that is really strange and we’ll start having some analysts running it down.”

Part of the problem is that more operators are taking large bets similar to this on other smaller sporting events. Since states like NJ include so many online options, sportsbooks will take more risks in hopes of securing more customers.

For Tipico to generate the betting handle and revenue that DraftKings and FanDuel see, it can’t refuse bets of this size. Even if it’s for a game between two teams from the women’s Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Offbeat betting may happen more often

Without any betting limits in place, this is likely to continue to occur.

Holt talked about why this could become problematic. He said:

“The more of these big bets that are accepted on obscure markets, the motivation for people to try to manipulate these markets obviously grows.”

As legal sports betting keeps expanding throughout the US, there might need to be more eyes looking at these interesting wagers.

Photo by Brocreative / Shutterstock.com

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By Chris Imperiale on January 17, 2022

Rams Vs. Cardinals Odds: NFC West Foes Meet In Wild Card On Monday

The weekend would typically be over for the NFL’s Wild Card, however, the league’s schedule adjustment leaves one more game for Monday Night Football.

The Los Angeles Rams take on the Arizona Cardinals in the final matchup before next week’s Divisional Round.

Of course, the NFL tried to save the best for last. These two sides met twice in the regular season since they both play within the NFC West.

Los Angeles lost the first one at home by 17 points, but then returned the favor more recently. It defeated the Cardinals in Glendale by a score of 30-23 in December.

Although Texas sports betting isn’t here yet, residents can cross over nearby state lines to place a wager or two.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Rams are laying -3.5 points at home. They feature moneyline odds of -180, while Arizona is available at +155.

Betting on Rams vs. Cardinals Wild Card

It’s usually interesting when divisional opponents face one another for a third time in the same year. Both coaching staffs are so familiar with the other team and what they’re trying to accomplish on the other side of the ball.

This scenario already played out this postseason when the Buffalo Bills hosted New England on Saturday night. The Bills won by a sizable margin, as they ended up winning the final two contests against their division rival.

Los Angeles looks to do the same to conclude the Wild Card and book its trip to Tampa Bay for next Sunday.

It finished the season on a hot streak, even though it blew its lead against San Francisco to allow another NFC West side into the playoffs. The Rams won five straight before dropping their Week 18 game.

Overall, they went 12-5, good enough to win the division and earn home field for this tilt.

The Cardinals also had an impressive campaign in 2021. Their record sat at 7-0 and then 10-2, however, they lost four of their last five to end the season.

Arizona’s offense scored 30 in a losing effort against Seattle, but it’s struggled of late. In its three defeats prior, Arizona averaged just 17 points.

Both offenses produced well for the majority of the year, though.

The Cardinals ranked eighth in yards per game, with the Rams just behind in ninth. LA was among the top 10 in points, with Arizona just outside in 11th.

As the playoffs have already shown, quarterback play is massive this time of year. These two franchises include two of the better options at the position in Kyler Murray and Matthew Stafford.

The former Detroit Lion threw for nearly 4,900 yards, placing him third. Murray was only around 3,800 yards passing, but he missed a few games. He contributed more than 400 yards on the ground, as well.

Rams vs. Cardinals props

It helps both signal callers that they have some incredible talent around them.

The Rams’ Cooper Kupp recorded one of the best seasons from a receiver ever. He posted 145 receptions for over 1,900 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Kupp and Stafford appeared to be mostly unstoppable during the regular season and need the connection to continue.

The offense lost wideout Robert Woods, but the trade for Odell Beckham Jr. looks like it’s paying off. He’s scored five times in eight games since being acquired by the Rams.

Part of the issue for the Cardinals down the stretch stems from not having their star receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. He’s only played in 10 tilts this year and won’t be around for this Wild Card finale.

Murray does have lots of others to distribute to, especially with the addition of tight end Zach Ertz. His newest target, along with Christian Kirk and A.J. Green, create plenty of issues for defenses.

DraftKings and most other online sports betting apps provide a lot of additional odds for every playoff matchup.

It shows both quarterbacks with a passing-touchdown total at 1.5 scores. The over is listed at -205 for Stafford, compared to +105 for Murray.

This discrepancy is because of Murray’s running ability around the goal line. He’s offered at +210 to be an anytime scorer, while his rushing total is set at 39.5 yards.

The online sportsbook features several player specials, too.

It provides odds of +350 for the Rams’ Kupp to haul in a catch of at least 50 yards. Bettors can also take Murray to throw for two touchdowns and run for another at +500.

Photo by AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By Chris Imperiale on January 15, 2022

The NFL playoffs are finally here and the Dallas Cowboys are back in the mix contending for a Super Bowl.

Of course, that’s a long way down the road, but you must qualify for the postseason in order to have that chance.

Dallas begins its hopeful run with a home game thanks to its NFC East title. It faces an old, but familiar foe in the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon.

Although we’re still waiting on Texas sports betting, residents in the Lone Star State can place wagers in locations like Louisiana.

Currently, the Cowboys are favored by just a field goal, laying -3 at DraftKings Sportsbook. They’re available at -165on the moneyline, whereas the Niners have odds of +145.

Betting on Cowboys vs. 49ers Wild Card

Although they haven’t met since the 1994 NFC Championship, Cowboys and 49ers fans are well versed in the history between the two sides.

They played one another in three straight years to decide the conference, with the winning team going on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy two weeks later. Dallas won the first two, while the Niners earned the last win.

This weekend’s tilt doesn’t hold quite the same importance, however, both fan bases are certainly excited about making a playoff run.

This is the first postseason game between them in a long time, but they got together just last season. Dallas won by a final of 41-33.

This year has been much better for both teams. Dallas took the division behind a 12-5 record and feel like an actual threat with a real defense.

San Francisco snuck into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. It did so in tremendous fashion, defeating its divisional rival in Los Angeles by a crazy comeback.

Even though quarterback remains somewhat of a question for the Niners, their running attack and defense provide issues for opponents.

Jimmy Garoppolo is their signal caller for the rest of this year, with rookie Trey Lance waiting for the future.

Garoppolo’s shown he’s capable, but commits a lot of mistakes, too.

Luckily, he’s got guys like George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, who are better than most weapons in the NFL.

Kittle caught 71 passes for over 900 yards as one of the top tight ends in football. Samuel exploded this season, exceeding 1,400 yards through the air and rushing for another 365.

The Cowboys defense proved to hold their own all year, but should have their hands full limiting these two the entire afternoon.

Cowboys vs. 49ers props

Regardless of how well Dallas plays on defense, its offense needs to put up some points. While it hit a rough patch toward the end of the schedule, it seems it figured a few things out.

Dallas scored 56 against Washington and 51 against Philadelphia in two of its final three matchups.

It wants to run the ball consistently, then use Dak Prescott and his receivers for big plays. If Dallas can’t produce yards on the ground, then it could have a tough time scoring a lot on Sunday.

Receiver Michael Gallup is out for the year, but there’s no shortage of talent on the outside. Cedrick Wilson looks solid in multiple starts this season.

Prescott also has a few playmakers in Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, so San Francisco’s secondary is in for a test.

Besides the main odds for this game, bettors can put some action down on a wide variety of team and player props.

The first-touchdown scorer is always interesting, with running backs getting enhanced odds over others. DraftKings shows San Francisco’s Elijah Mitchell at +700, along with his teammate Samuel and Dallas’ Zeke Elliott.

Lamb and Kittle feature the best odds for receivers, both available at +1100.

This market is always fun because you can also take a chance on a long shot. Someone like the Niners’ Mohamed Sanu is offered at +3500, compared to the Cowboys’ Blake Jarwin listed at +4000.

Photo by AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By Chris Imperiale on January 4, 2022

Since losing a close battle in New Jersey to Seton Hall, the Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team is on a roll. They’ve won six consecutive tilts, including their last over WVU to begin conference play in the Big 12.

Texas is up to No. 14 this week in the AP Top 25 and will look to improve that ranking with a road contest at Kansas State on Tuesday night.

While Texas sports betting isn’t an option just yet, those in the Lone Star State can venture to some neighboring locations that do feature legal sportsbooks. Louisiana sports betting is available to many in the eastern part of Texas.

The Longhorns’ current winning streak has their record sitting at 11-2 on the year.

As always, the conference is strong, as five others already have at least 11 victories, too. Texas is between Oklahoma and Kansas in the standings at 11 wins, while they are all looking up at Baylor at a perfect 13-0.

To keep pace, the Longhorns need to hold serve on Tuesday. They enter Manhattan, Kansas, as around eight-point favorites at sportsbooks.

Texas basketball odds vs. Kansas State

A total of three teams are in front of Texas at the moment in the most updated rankings.

Baylor is the No. 1 team in the nation as one of the few unbeaten teams remaining going into 2022. It’s not the only one contending for the conference title, though, as those like No. 6 Kansas and No. 11 Iowa State are more than capable.

Texas Tech at No. 25 is the only other team ranked behind Texas, but both Oklahoma and WVU are just outside.

The Longhorns are clearly one of the better sides among this group. The only issue is they’ll need to win the majority of their games to have a real chance at taking the conference title in the regular season.

Kansas State is a quality opponent, however, it’s someone Texas needs to beat. The Longhorns are laying -8.5 in the point spread according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

They’re available to bet on at -400 on the moneyline, compared to KSU listed at +300 to win outright.

The Wildcats won three straight before narrowly going down to the Sooners. KSU had a strong second half, but fell two points shy of a victory in Norman.

All three of their other losses have been relatively tight, as well.

They lost to Marquette by just one point in the beginning of December. They also oddly dropped back-to-back games to No. 13 Arkansas and No. 14 Illinois by the exact same score of 72-64. Both of these matchups took place at the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri.

KSU has proven it can hang with the talented teams in the country, so Texas is in for a tough one regardless of the point spread.

Texas vs. KSU preview

The Longhorns present plenty of problems for other teams. Part of their strength is their depth and ability to get scoring from a wide range of players.

Senior forward Timmy Allen leads everyone on the squad in points per game with 11.6. He’s followed by six additional players who each average more than seven points this season.

Through Texas’ first 13 contests, it’s had all seven of these guys lead at least one game in scoring.

With an offense like that, the Longhorns should be difficult to contain this year.

They took down the Mountaineers in their last tilt behind a monster opening half. Three Texas players scored at least 14points, with senior Marcus Carr paving the way with 20.

Kansas State doesn’t have much of an issue scoring the basketball, either. It features three players averaging 11 or more points.

Currently, sophomore guard Nijel Pack is tops on the Wildcats with over 15 points per night. He does a lot of his damage from beyond the arc, where Pack is shooting over 42%.

He has 28 triples on the season so far, 10 more than any other Wildcat.

In its last game, KSU received a big lift from senior Mark Smith in the scoring department. He poured in 25 to lead all players in the tough loss at OU.

If you’re a Texas backer and you think the point spread might be a little too big for comfort, you could always turn to additional lines for the game. DraftKings shows the Longhorns giving -5 in the spread for the opening half.

Texas’ moneyline for the first half is at -265 through the online sportsbook, while KSU is posted with odds of +200.

Photo by (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By J.R. Duren on December 29, 2021

Top 5 bar crawls to celebrate NYE in Texas

They may be best known for Texas poker, but the state is also home to legendary New Year’s Eve bar crawls. The crawls start in the afternoon and merrily make their way from watering hole to watering hole until well after midnight.

Austin and Dallas lead the way with a variety of complimentary food and drinks but make no mistake, the bars in all five of Texas’ biggest cities are doing NYE right.

#1 Dallas New Year’s Eve bar crawl

Dallas knows how to do football, go Cowboys! And a NYE bar crawl.

The city’s top pub crawl includes a variety of perks and free stuff that you won’t find in most cities. Tickets are $20-$30 and include:

Free entry to at least eight bars
Food and drink specials
Midnight Champagne toast
Food and drink specials at all bars
NYE party favors
Scavenger hunt

The crawl kicks off at the Nodding Donkey at 8 p.m. and winds through the Uptown District, stopping at seven other bars offering a variety of drink and food specials:

The Nodding Donkey: $5 wells, $5 Fireball, $4 Bud Light cans
Frida Social Club: $5 Frozen Fridas
Kung Fu Saloon: $7.50 wells, $7 sparkler shots, $4 PBR, $4 Lonestar
Primo’s MX Kitchen and Lounge: $5 margaritas, $5 wells, $2 tacos
The Loon
The Velvet Taco: $7.50 margaritas

The event is scheduled to end at 2 a.m.

#2 Austin New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl

Let’s play in Austin this NYE at the top pub crawl which includes a variety of perks and free stuff you won’t find in most cities. The event goes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and starts at Buck Wild.

Tickets are $40-$60 and include:

Free entry for four to six downtown Boston bars
Four complimentary drink tickets
A photo booth
Champagne toast at midnight
DJs at every bar
VIP viewing of the NYE ball drop
Specials on food and drink
Shuttle service for groups of 10-45 people

Bars participating in the crawl include Buck Wild, Buck Shot, Two Bucks Bar, and Cheers Shot Bar. The list may increase by NYE.

#3 San Antonio New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl

The Alamo City’s pub crawl includes drink specials, a Champagne toast at midnight, DJs and entrance into at least six bars on the crawl route. Tickets are $19.99 and the event runs from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Bars participating in the crawl include:

Pat O’Brians
On the Rocks
Rio Rio
Mad Dogs Pub
Bier Garten Riverwalk
The Local

The bars participating in the crawl may grow by NYE, so call Pat O’Brians to get updates on any new bars added.

#4 Fort Worth New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl

Fort Worth’s premier bar crawl starts at 5 p.m. on NYE and wraps up at 3 a.m. The event takes place in Fort Worth’s West 7th bar district and stops at some of the city’s best-loved spots such as:

2909
Trinity College
Bodega
Kung Fu
El Chingon

Tickets for the crawl are $19.99 and include drink specials at various locations along the way.

#5 Houston New Year’s Eve Bar Crawl

H-Town is home to one of the best bar crawls in the state. The city’s NYE pub crawl runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and starts at The Garden HTX at 1-11 McGowen St.

Tickets for the crawl are $19.99. The crawl itself ends early in the night. If you want to keep the fun going, you can pay $30.99 to attend the crawl after-party at Garden HTX and ring in the new year.

Photo by Roschetzky Photography / shutterstock

Written by

J.R. Duren

J.R. Duren has covered the gambling beats for more than a dozen states for Catena Media since 2015. His past reporting experience includes two years at the Villages Daily Sun, and he is a first-place winner at the Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Contest.

View all posts by J.R. Duren

Written By Chris Imperiale on December 24, 2021

The Dallas Cowboys are officially playoff bound this season, thanks to the San Francisco 49ers loss on Thursday. They can also solidify the NFC East title this Sunday night when they host the Washington Football Team.

Although Dallas isn’t hitting on all cylinders at the moment, it’s won all three of its December matchups thus far.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and the offense is still struggling, however, the defense is performing at a very high level. The unit dominated last week against the Giants, surrendering just six points and creating four turnovers.

With a 10-4 record, the Cowboys are sitting pretty in terms of the division. The Eagles are in second at 7-7, so there isn’t much pressure overall.

That being said, Dallas would love to wrap things up on Sunday night and guarantee itself a home game during Wild Card weekend.

Even though Texas sports betting doesn’t exist yet, residents in the Lone Star State can venture over to nearby states to place a bet on their Cowboys.

Louisiana sports betting is available at several retail casinos right now, and will soon expand to online options, too.

Dallas Cowboys Odds Vs. Washington

The Cowboys offense did just enough to make Sunday’s victory over the Giants comfortable. Their defense was incredible again, limiting New York and its backup quarterbacks all afternoon.

The return of Demarcus Lawrence and Neville Gallimore has paid off already over the past two weeks. Lawrence’s big hit on Mike Glennon forced an early interception last Sunday to set Dallas up for its opening touchdown.

While they give up more yardage than they’d like, the defense ranks 7th in the NFL in points allowed per game. Dan Quinn’s guys are turning the ball over consistently, one of the biggest differences from year’s past.

The Cowboys are tied with Indianapolis with the most takeaways this season with 31. Of course, a lot of these have come by way of an interception from cornerback Trevon Diggs.

The second-year defensive back leads the league with 10 picks after snagging another last week.

Rookie Micah Parsons might be the only Dallas defender who’s outperforming Diggs. He’s a lock for the Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, and is in contention for the best defensive player overall.

Despite lining up everywhere including linebacker, Parsons leads the team in sacks with 12. Both Parsons and Diggs earned their first Pro Bowl nods this past week.

The defense had a strong showing in general when it faced Washington just a few weeks ago. Dallas won the contest by a final of 27-20, but Washington only scored eight points through the first three quarters. The last touchdown in this one was scored by Washington’s defense, too.

Currently, DraftKings Sportsbook shows the Cowboys laying -10 in the point spread, with a moneyline of -435. Washington is available to bet on at +330.

Cowboys Vs. Washington Props

As with a lot of games recently, Washington was shorthanded against Philadelphia because of COVID complications. It didn’t have either of its top two quarterbacks around for its last tilt, but should have Taylor Heinicke back for Sunday night.

That’s huge for its offensive outlook, as he’s by far the most capable at the position.

It appears that Heinicke and the offense will need to be clicking in order to be productive against Dallas, though. Since giving up 36 points on Thanksgiving to the Raiders, the Cowboys defense is averaging just slightly over 14 points allowed per outing.

Washington will try to lean on running back Antonio Gibson, who is closing in on 900 yards rushing this year. He’s had a rough stretch the last few weeks against Dallas and Philadelphia, totaling just 62 yards on the ground.

If Washington becomes one dimensional, it is very easy to defend.

Those who leave the state of Texas to place a wager on this game could find some game and player props in addition to the standard odds. One of the most popular is which player will score the first touchdown. FanDuel Sportsbook shows the following odds right now for which player will put it in the end zone first between Dallas and Washington:

Ezekiel Elliott +550
CeeDee Lamb +650
Amari Cooper +800
Antonio Gibson +850
Tony Pollard +900
Jaret Patterson +1000
Dalton Schultz +1200
Michael Gallup +1200
Terry McLaurin +1300

Photo by (AP Photo/Mark Tenally)

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By Chris Imperiale on December 14, 2021

Dallas Cowboys are one of the reasons the NFC East dominates in Super Bowl Titles

As the 2021 NFL season is coming down to the stretch run, it may surprise some younger fans to know that NFC East holds a dominating lead in the most Super Bowl titles.

The playoffs are just around the corner, with Week 14 already underway following the Vikings win on Thursday Night Football. Contenders try to position themselves for the upcoming postseason.

This means that we’ll crown a new Super Bowl champion in fewer than two months.

In total, NFC East teams produced 13 Super Bowl victories thorough the history of the big game.

Of course, although they can’t legally bet on their team in the state, deep in their hearts, folks around Texas know the team behind a lot of those wins.

Inside the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl Dynasty

The Dallas Cowboys own five Super Bowl titles, which places them among the most successful franchises of all time. They’re tied with the San Francisco 49ers at five, while they trail both Pittsburgh and New England with six.

While Dallas won two of its Super Bowls titles in the 1970s, fans remember it best for its dynasty from the 1990s.

As many recall, the triplets led that team, consisting of quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and receiver Michael Irvin. All three players are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Cowboys took part in one of the biggest blowouts in Super Bowl history when it toppled the Bills in 1992. They won by a final of 52-17.

The following season was slightly closer but ended with the same result. Dallas took down Buffalo again, this time by 17 points.

A tiff between owner Jerry Jones and then-coach Jimmy Johnson led to a change, and Cowboys fans will tell you things were never the same. They wound up losing in the NFC Championship to San Francisco to conclude the 1994 season.

New coach Barry Switzer and his extremely talented roster made it back in 1995, though, getting another win over Pittsburgh. This contest was much tighter than the prior two for Dallas, but it still ended in a 10-point triumph.

The following year, Dallas lost in the Divisional Playoffs before going 6-10, with Switzer resigning in 1997.

The Cowboys last title occurred in 1995, to the dismay of many. They’ve been mostly mediocre over the last two decades, however, they won three rings in four years during the 1990s.

Before Dallas claimed its first during that span, the Washington Football Team won its latest. Washington beat the Buffalo Bills in 1991 to add to its two titles from the 1980s.

Although Dallas isn’t the favorite to bring home another this season, it isn’t far off. DraftKings Sportsbook shows it with the eighth-best odds in the NFL, available at +1300.

While awaiting the next dynasty, Dallas still posts high fan loyalty, currently leading all teams in current Pro Bowl fan voting.

How the divisions stack up in Super Bowl wins

Besides the Cowboys ranking among teams with the most championships, the NFC East leads this category in part because all four teams have contributed.

This sweep means that the NFC East is the only current division where all four members have a title.

Only three others out of the total of eight divisions can brag of having three teams with a Super Bowl win. These are the NFC West, along with the AFC West and East.

The NFC East’s most recent title was the missing fourth team in the Philadelphia Eagles. They took the title in 2017 over the Patriots in a dramatic fashion.

The division has seen two other rings won somewhat recently, with the New York Giants’ titles in 2007 and 2011. They also defeated New England in both of these games.

Many will remember the first one more thoroughly, as it prevented the Patriots from completing their perfect season. They entered the Super Bowl with an 18-0 record but failed to seal the deal against Eli Manning and the stout Giants defensive front.

This leaves the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only squad to win the Super Bowl with an undefeated record.

Imagine how many trophies Tom Brady would have if he didn’t face the NFC East in these games.

Dallas leads the group with the five overall, the Giants at four, Washington with three, and Philadelphia’s one.

The Brady factor raised the AFC East placement

The AFC East holds second place in this battle for divisional Super Bowls. It has nine titles overall, thanks mainly to the recent Patriots run with Brady.

New England owns six championships, with the first coming in 2001 and the latest in 2018.

The Miami Dolphins account for two rings, while the New York Jets got their first and only behind Joe Namath in 1969.

Buffalo was close to getting back to the big game a year ago but fell short in the AFC Championship to Kansas City. The Bills lost their four consecutive appearances in the Super Bowl in the early 90s.

One would have expected the Patriots to fall off for a bit with Brady now in Tampa, but they’re looking solid this year. Coach Bill Belichick’s team is 9-4 and currently in first place overall in the AFC.

With rookie quarterback Mac Jones, the Pats are listed with the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl this year. DraftKings has them with odds of +700.

Both the AFC North and West are right behind the East’s mark of nine. They each have eight Super Bowls apiece.

The only other division close to double digits is the NFC West at seven.

The bottom three divisions round out with the NFC North at five, NFC South with three, and the AFC South in last at two.

Photo by (AP Photo/Doug Mills)

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

Written By Chris Imperiale on December 9, 2021 – Last Updated on December 10, 2021

Texas casinos are keeping safety protocols in place for the holidays

With many guests expected to join in the excitement of giveaways and events during the holiday season, Texas casinos are prioritizing safety and keeping COVID-19 protocols in place.

While rules within the Lone Star State have changed a few times regarding mandates, the state’s casinos haven’t altered their policies much.

Each of Texas’ three retail casinos still has rules enforcing protection against COVID-19.

All three require that you wear a mask to enter the establishment and keep it on throughout your time there.

Beyond wearing masks, both the Lucky Eagle Casino and Naskila Gaming continue to perform temperature checks for guests at the entrance. These are the same rules that have been in place.

If you have a temperature or don’t feel well, you shouldn’t go out and potentially put others at risk. The casino security will not allow you inside if your temperature is red-flagged.

Even with the addition of special holiday events and promotions, not much has changed with the holiday season.

Texas casinos are keeping current COVID-19 rules

If you’ve recently gone to either tribal casino in TX, you know that the rules and regulations are mostly the same for each location.

Each casino requires you to have a mask on to enter the premises. You must also pass the temperature check, regardless of your vaccination status. Every staff member working at each casino should also wear a mask.

It’s only acceptable to remove your mask is when you’re eating or drinking.

Over at Lucky Eagle Casino, bettors should note a couple of additional protocols regarding smoking.

Smoking is not permitted within the casino at this time. Instead, there are a few designated smoking areas outside.

Lucky Eagle Casino has increased background safety precautions

The casinos are doing a lot behind the scenes, as well.

Lucky Eagle’s website shows a Health Safety Standards page that describes everything done to keep its customers safe. A lot of this includes keeping things clean.

The casino now uses hospital-grade products to help sanitize the facility. It also features daily restroom scrubbing via a machine. Also, assigned bathroom attendants conduct hourly soap and water cleansing. Additionally, the casino employs a process to sanitize every flat surface facility-wide

Patrons also have access to several sanitizing stations, with hand sanitizer and wipes positioned throughout the casino.

Even though a few of the standards might seem overwhelming for some, casinos are trying to keep everyone protected and healthy for the holidays while ensuring a good time.

Photo by rSnapshotPhotos / Shutterstock.com

Written by

Chris Imperiale

Chris Imperiale covers sports betting and the online casino industries. He has a journalism degree from Rutgers University and was formerly on staff at Bleacher Report.

View all posts by Chris Imperiale

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