Sports betting ban in California and Texas stop Olympics bets

California and Texas have provided a considerable number of athletes for Team USA’s gold medal push at the Paris Olympics, but sports fans in those jurisdictions will not be able to bet on the games. 

The two most populous states in the US have an existing sports betting ban, despite 38 other states and Washington DC having access to staking a few dollars on their chosen sport. 

The two huge states have a combined population of around 70 million, more than 20% of the total headcount across the nation.