José has been waiting for the 2026 World Cup for months. He already knows what games he wants to see, he plans to meet with friends to cheer on Mexico and even downloaded a sports betting app to make each encounter more exciting. But he discovered something unexpected: although Texas will be one of the venues for the tournament, he will not be able to legally bet from his cell phone.
The situation may be confusing for many fans. After all, sports betting has become increasingly common in the United States. However, the legality depends on the state where the person is located at the time of placing the bet.
Not all states play by the same rules
At the moment, most US states allow some form of sports bettingbut there are important differences.
In places like New York, New Jersey, Arizona or Florida, users can use authorized applications to bet from their mobile phones. In other states, gambling is only allowed inside land-based casinos or specific tribal establishments.
And then there are the states where they remain illegal. These include Texas, California, Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah.
For millions of Hispanics who live or are in the United States during the World Cup, especially those who live in Texas and California, this means that They will not be able to legally use the best-known platforms to bet for the World Cup from their homes.
The detail that many discover too late
There is a fairly widespread belief: thinking that it is enough to download an application to start betting. It doesn’t work like that.
Authorized platforms use geolocation systems that verify where the user is physically located. A person residing in Texas could legally gamble if they travel to Nevada or New York and use an app enabled there. But once back in Texas, the platform should block that possibility.
Therefore, before registering on any site, it is advisable to check if the application is authorized in the corresponding state.
You can see: I can’t stop gambling: where to look for help in the US and what options exist
The World Cup could attract thousands of first-time bettors
The World Cup usually arouses the interest even of those who have never made a sports bet before. The excitement of supporting the favorite team, trying to predict a result or participating in a friendly bet between acquaintances leads many people to try this type of platform for the first time.
However, responsible gambling specialists recommend establishing clear limits from the beginning: only bet money that you are willing to lose, avoid trying to recover losses through new bets and understand that the significant objective is still to enjoy the sporting spectacle.
The 2026 World Cup promises to fill stadiums and bring together millions of fans in front of the screens. But for those who also want to test their forecaststhere will be a rule as important as offside: Check first if betting is okay where you live.
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