ClubWPT Gold in Texas: sweepstakes poker in a state with no casinos

Texas gave the game its name and then outlawed almost every way of playing it for money. There is no regulated online poker and no commercial casino; live play happens in membership card clubs that charge for seat time. ClubWPT Gold is the online option: a sweepstakes platform open to Texans from 18, no deposit required, with a WPT stop in Texas itself — the Lodge Championship in Round Rock — among the live events its packages reach.

Is it legal in Texas?

Texas law prohibits gambling for money outside narrow exceptions, but sweepstakes are lawful promotional contests: Gold Coins are for play and have no cash value, Sweeps Coins are obtained free (with purchases, daily bonuses or by mail-in request), and prizes won with Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for cash. No purchase is necessary. Texas has not moved against sweepstakes poker the way a few states have, but the picture can change; this is general information, not legal advice.

What Texans get

Hold'em and Omaha cash tables, sit-and-gos and daily Sweeps Coin tournaments, and Passport packages to live WPT events. The nearest is the WPT Prime Lodge Championship at the Lodge Card Club in Round Rock every October, one of the fastest-growing stops on the tour; the WPT World Championship at the Wynn in Las Vegas is a short flight from Dallas, Houston or Austin.

Signing up

Register through the link on this page with your real name, address and date of birth (18 or over), claim the free welcome coins and play; verify your identity before redeeming prizes. For live poker, see our Texas page on the card-club model and The Lodge. If gambling stops being fun, the Texas problem-gambling helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) is free and confidential.