Oklahoma Sports Betting Bill Stalls Again In State Legislature

Oklahoma sports betting could be coming to the Sooner State in the future, but it might not happen anytime soon after the latest bill stalled again in the State Legislature. Republican supporters continue to face an uphill battle as the governor and state’s tribes cannot agree on legalization.

Latest Oklahoma sports betting bills lacked support

Matthew Morgan, Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) chairman, said Gov. Kevin Stitt’s to legalize sports betting during the last session was futile because state leadership isn’t interested.

“Any discussion of sports betting really never left the ground after that because there was just too much posturing, too much disagreement on how the industry worked,” Morgan told Kennedy Thomason of Oklahoma Voice.

Furthermore, Morgan’s association has 25 member tribes. The OIGA notes that both State Legislature and the Governor’s Office seem complacent on the topic of sports wagering.

“I would also tell you, though, that from our perspective, we’ve not really seen State Legislature or the Governor’s Office have an appetite for sports betting to date,” Morgan said.

Although Morgan said tribal leaders would be open to discussing a deal within the framework of their existing compacts, he also added that the tribes have no desire to sign new compacts.

A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia offer some form of sports betting

As of July 2024, a total of 38 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of sports wagering. Oklahoma could join the list in the years ahead, but sports wagering bills still lack universal support.

Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, proposed SB 1434 during the 2024 legislative session. That bill fell short as well. His measure would have allowed operators to offer mobile sports wagering. Though, it failed to make it past the appropriations committee.

“I think when we made the compacts on gambling, we never even looked at sports betting, and especially mobile betting on your mobile phones,” Murdock said. “This is totally new. I think we should start over and make it fair for every Oklahoman.”

State Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, was an author of HB 1027. This bill was the best attempt to legalize sports betting to date. The proposal was presented during the 2023 legislative session. While the bill passed in the House, it did not advance any further.

HB 1027 would have allowed tribes to offer sports wagering

HB 1027 would have provided the tribes a compact supplement, which would have allowed them to offer sports betting. Since it remains illegal, residents are also crossing over into Kansas to place wagers.

“I live around the state of Kansas. I can see money leaving the state of Oklahoma to Kansas, where sports betting is legal,” Coleman said. He said his sports betting bill could still pass within the next few years.

“You’ve got the governor, you’ve got the tribes, you’ve got the Legislature, you’ve got plenty of people that are giving input. It just takes time to get everybody on the same page,” he added.

Despite the drawback, Coleman said he has a “gut feeling” that sports betting legislation will be passed within a year. There are plans to bring sports wagering legislation back in a future session, he said.

The Quapaw Nation is the only Oklahoma tribe that offers a mobile sports betting app. Even then, the tribe can only offer sports betting in Arkansas at the Saracen Casino Resort.