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LAKE CHARLES, La. — March Madness is officially underway and the first round of the NCAA tournament starts on Thursday. All of it culminates with the Final Four in Houston. Between now and then, a lot of Texans will be placing sports bets on their favorite teams, even though it's not legal in Texas.

March Madness is one of the biggest sporting events of the year and that translates to one of the busiest times for sports betting. It's not legal in the Lone Star State, but that's not stopping Texans from heading to where they can put their money where their mouths are.

If you drive about three hours and 140 miles east from Houston, you'll pull up to the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles. Before you even get inside, the parking lot plates tell the story.

This is where Texans come to gamble.

"We're about 20 minutes from the state line, so we appreciate our customers from Texas, and really all over," said Joshua Robinson, chief marketing officer at the Golden Nugget.

Inside the Golden Nugget is DraftKings Sportsbook, the largest sportsbook in Louisiana. There are more than 3,200 square feet of LED screens showing every sport or game you can imagine.

"I'm a sports junkie and this is paradise for me," sportsbook manager Doug Lewis said.

Lewis said you can place just about any sports bet you can think of.

"A lot of people are making a lot of money and putting a lot of money on teams," Lewis said. "And they all want their team to win."

For March Madness, it'll be busier than ever.

"Our first week is almost booked," Lewis said.

Many of the reservations are from folks driving in from Houston to place their bets.

"I'm a Duke fan, so I'm looking to bet on Duke," Zack Brown said.

The American Gaming Association forecast more than 17% of U.S. adults planned to wager $3.1 billion during last year's tournament. This year, expect it to be even more as more states have legalized sports betting.

Texas is still not one of them.

"I can't just go down the street or drive 30 minutes and go do it," Brown said. "I have to drive an hour and 40 minutes. I have to go make a trip out of it."

His friend Lucas Tanton agrees.

"I wish I could be on my couch making bets like most people do," Tanton said.

Texas could be next in line to legalize sports betting. Several bills filed this session aim to create and regulate online sports gambling in the Lone Star State. Former Gov. Rick Perry told KHOU 11 News he felt optimistic about that happening.

"I think it will pass this session of the legislature, that's my instinct," Perry said.

Many Houston area sports fans hope Perry's right.

"It'd be way easier that way. They'd make a lot of money on it," Brown said.

Maybe next year, but for this NCAA tourney, the DraftKings sportsbook at the Golden Nugget may be one of your best bets to cash in on this year's March Madness.

"It makes sports way more fun when you're sports betting, there's more emotion to it," Brown said. "It's just fun to watch the upsets happen and be on the good side of it."

Louisiana gaming officials said Texans make up an estimated 85% of business at Lake Charles' casinos. And that's not accounting for the thousands of folks who simply cross the state line and place a bet on their phone without having to ever walk into the sportsbook.

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