Oklahoma Sports Betting Bills Face Uncertain Path
Oklahoma’s Senate passed Senate Bill 585, greenlighting sports betting for Native American tribes on tribal lands, both in-person and mobile. It also hands the Oklahoma City Thunder a shot at an online betting license off tribal turf, tied to a tribe-approved operator.
Senate and House Proposals
The bill hit a snag initially, failing its first vote, but a redo pushed it through with a 25-21 tally. Now, it’s up to the House to chew it over. Meanwhile, the House cleared its own pair of bills, HB 1047 and HB 1101, on March 26, locking in tribal exclusivity for sports betting statewide.
HB 1047 tweaks existing tribal gaming compacts to add sports betting, with the state pocketing 10% of the revenue for that exclusive deal. HB 1101 takes a different tack, setting up a 2026 voter referendum to decide the issue if HB 1047 flops.
That second bill sidesteps the governor’s desk, dodging a potential veto. All three bills: SB 585, HB 1047, and HB 1101, have cleared one chamber, but their finish line’s still fuzzy. Oklahoma’s 38 federally recognized tribes back the House bills, liking the full control, though they’re open to chats with others, per tribal leaders.
The Senate’s Thunder twist adds a wrinkle. It’s a rare nod to a pro team in a state with no commercial casinos, where tribes run the show under federal law. But with 38 tribes and overlapping land claims, mobile betting could get messy. Each bill’s got its fans, yet they’re all stuck in a legislative tug-of-war.
Governor’s Pushback and Free Market Pitch
Governor Kevin Stitt’s throwing a wrench into all three plans. He’s vowed to veto any bill handing tribes sole betting rights, calling them tribal-only plays that cut him out of the talks.
“These bills don’t have my input,” Stitt said at a presser. He’s pushing a “free market” setup instead, letting horse tracks, the state lottery, and others in on the action. His 2023 plan taxed mobile bets at 20% and tribal retail at 15%, but tribes shot it down, saying it broke their exclusive gaming compacts.
Stitt’s stance locks horns with federal rules needing his sign-off for tribal gaming changes. Tribes argue his idea undercuts their rights, and they’re not keen on sharing with outsiders.
The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association’s hinted at compromise, but only if it fits their terms. For now, Stitt’s veto threat looms large, overriding it needs a two-thirds vote in both chambers, a tall order after SB 585’s razor-thin win.
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