The Spurs Are in the NBA Finals and Texas Bettors Can’t Legally Bet on Them — Here’s What They Can Do Instead

The San Antonio Spurs are in the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, and Texas is buzzing. Despite the Spurs carrying one of the sport’s most transcendent young talents — Victor Wembanyama — into the championship round for the first time, Texas residents cannot legally place a traditional sports bet on the series. Sports betting remains illegal in Texas in the conventional sense, with no licensed sportsbook apps or retail books available in the state, and the next realistic window for legislation is the 2027 session of the state legislature.

That does not mean Texans are without options. A substantial and growing ecosystem of daily fantasy sports platforms operates legally in Texas for users 18 and older, offering real-money contests that allow fans to have financial stakes on individual player performances throughout the NBA Finals and across every major sport. DraftKings Pick6, FanDuel Daily Fantasy, PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, Sleeper, and several other platforms all accept Texas players.

What Texas Bettors Can Use Right Now

Pick’em-style DFS contests on platforms like PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy are the closest available product to player prop bets for Texas residents. On those apps, users select a set of players and predict whether each will go over or under a specified statistical projection. The more picks a user gets correct, the higher the potential payout multiplier. During the NBA Finals, players like Wembanyama, Dejounte Murray, and Jalen Brunson are among the most heavily contested DFS targets.

Prediction market platforms including Kalshi and DraftKings Predictions have also been available in Texas, allowing users to trade event contracts on game outcomes. However, prediction markets are facing an increasingly hostile legal and regulatory environment nationally — with multiple states suing Kalshi and federal legislation being considered that could restrict sports event contracts. Their continued availability in Texas cannot be guaranteed over the course of the Finals.

For Texans looking to get into DFS ahead of the Finals, PrizePicks promo codes and sign-up bonuses are available through several platforms. New users at PrizePicks can claim a deposit bonus to start, while Underdog Fantasy and Sleeper also offer sign-up incentives for first-time depositors. Review what’s available at the DFS promotions hub before creating an account.

The Road to Legal Betting in Texas

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has been one of the most consistent opponents of sports betting legalization in the state and remains in office through at least the 2027 legislative session. A group of 12 House members sent a letter in June 2025 promising to block any sports betting bill, calling it “dead on arrival.” Despite Governor Greg Abbott voicing support for legalization and the Spurs’ NBA Finals run generating renewed public conversation about the issue, no bill can be formally introduced until the next legislative session opens in January 2027.

In the meantime, Texas remains one of the largest untapped sports betting markets in the country. An estimated $160 billion was wagered legally on sports nationwide in 2025, and Texas represents a massive potential piece of that market that currently flows to offshore sites, DFS platforms, and prediction markets rather than licensed in-state operators. The Spurs’ run will undoubtedly intensify the conversation heading into the next legislative cycle, but meaningful change remains at least a year and a half away.