In recent years, the hope has been that some positive Texas betting news would come in for the legalization efforts, but the opposite has been the case. Now, while Texas is still hoping to get things done in the next year or two, there are still a lot of things standing in the way. With that, the Texas sports betting opposition now has more to work with, as the new scandal has taken yet another twist.

In case you missed it, quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who is still in college, was caught betting on sports games. That's not legal for college players, and Sorsby was caught red-handed doing so. Originally, there was an expectation that he'd miss the season, but it has since been announced that he's going to miss only two games. So, he bet on college teams, and was given a slap on the wrist? This is something people are not happy about.

"The NCAA banned Sorsby from participating in football after court filings showed the student athlete placed at least $90,000 in sports bets while attending Texas Tech and playing football at two other universities," The Texas Tribune wrote. "He placed bets on his own team while playing at Indiana, and when in Texas, where sports betting is illegal, sent money to people in other states to bet on his behalf, according to court filings."

There's a betting impact here too, as if Sorsby can get caught like this and receive a minimal punishment, what's going to stop other players from doing so. This could also end up impacting things at the professional level as well. It will be interesting to see how things end up here as a whole, but this drama for Texas sports betting isn't going to help things get legalized in the near future. Instead, it could cause for more of a delay.

This case will also impact prediction markets as well

It goes without saying, but this case will also impact prediction markets as well. As things stand, that form of sports betting is still legal, as we're seeing a whole lot of sports wagers go down that way. Despite the football season still being three months away, the betting is going to be on the rise as we get closer to the heart of the summer. And, college fans are going to be checking the odds consistently.

They're also going to be taking a look at the NFL betting odds as well. In a recent article here on OSB, we discussed how Governor Dan Patrick has been working to try to get prediction markets banned. There have been several issues that have been brought up, including people who aren't at least 21 placing bets. This is something he wants to see changed as soon as possible, though nothing has come up there of late.

The quick fix here of course would be for legal sports betting options to arrive for the state, but again, things have been moving at a snail's pace. The hope is that it can change soon, but unless the right sports betting bill arrives, people's minds are not going to get changed, and we're going to be at a bit of a standstill. Only time will tell if adjustments to the laws come or not, but until then, the prediction markets will be able to flourish.

Ted Cruz and other officials remain unhappy with the sports betting drama

Another thing to keep in mind as well here is that Ted Cruz and officials remain unhappy with the sports betting drama, which is key for several different reasons. In particular, Cruz has voiced his displeasure with the prediction markets, as he doesn't like how things are going down. Texas of course isn't the only one pushing to get those markets banned in their respective states.

With the anger towards those markets, might it lead to lawmakers and politicians working together to help the legalization efforts move forward a bit? From our chair, that feels like it would be the smart decision, but hands continue to be tied right now. On one side, you have politicians who want sports betting, which is great.

However, gambling addiction is a key talking point for everyone who is opposed to things, as that's been a consistent talking point for a little while. Will that change in the near future? That's doubtful, but the hope for Texas citizens is that everyone can work to meet in the middle somehow. Otherwise, who knows if legal sports betting both in-person and online will ever come to fruition.