State Rep. Jeff Leach pulled out his smartphone and, like so many other Texans this month, prepared to bet on a game in the NCAA basketball tournament.

The Plano Republican didn’t submit the wager, wanting only to demonstrate how easy it can be done.

“I didn’t do it!” Leach professed to a Texas House committee Wednesday.

Although 35 states have passed laws to legalize sports gambling, Texans who want to get in on the action are limited to placing an illegal bet through a bookie or an offshore account. Gambling supporters say those options are not only burdensome, but block the state from a reliable income stream.