While a major hurdle remains, an Oklahoma state senator is looking to keep the conversation about sports betting legalization alive.
Sen. Bill Coleman told LSR last month he plans to introduce an Oklahoma sports betting bill next year. Coleman said the bill’s details still need to be ironed out, but that will happen through conversations with the state’s 39 federally recognized tribes and Gov. Kevin Stitt.
“The main reason I’m carrying this is we’re losing money to other states,” Coleman said. “Texas got close in 2023, and if they go into 2025 and pass it, that would leave us surrounded.”
Coleman said he believes Rep. Ken Luttrell will co-sponsor the bill in the House, as he has done in the past. Luttrell led sports betting legislation through the House in 2023, but a rift between the tribes and Stitt sidelined the bill.
Tribal input key in Oklahoma
Because of state-tribal compacts, the 39 tribes have a say in any gambling issue in Oklahoma, Coleman said. Coleman and Luttrell’s previous proposal required at least four tribes to update their compacts to include sports betting.
But the tribes remain at odds with Stitt, who, according to some, has undone decades of work between the state and the tribes. Stitt’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
“That relationship is not repaired,” Coleman said. “We have to get all the parties on board, and you have 39 tribes, 149 legislators and the governor. It’s difficult in this state. We’ll keep the conversation going. This is to force the conversation.”
Tribes happy to continue discussions
Matthew Morgan, Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association chairman, said the group appreciates Coleman’s “efforts to move this conversation forward.” Morgan declined to comment on the tribes’s relationship with Stitt.
“Our members remain united to move our industry, our communities and our state forward and will work with any partners who share that vision,” Morgan said on the potential to reconcile with the state on the issue. “We have several new faces in the state legislature and new leadership in each chamber and will see where the legislature and Governor Stitt’s priorities lie.”
Morgan said OIGA and its members remain ready to discuss OK sports betting. Their requirements include:
- The solution does not breach current state-tribal gaming compacts.
- It utilizes the compact supplement outlined in the compacts.
- The economics make sense for both sides.
OK sports betting details sparse
Coleman said the bill does not yet have many firm details. One item he said will be in the package is getting tribes to allow the Oklahoma Lottery to offer online lottery products.
He said with 39 tribes, the online sports betting framework poses challenges because of large swaths of tribal land and geofencing.
Coleman said tribes might also be upset if the licensing framework includes the state’s lone professional team, the NBA‘s Oklahoma City Thunder, or untethered operators. A current proposal from Stitt includes an open online licensing process.
Stitt’s sports betting proposal
Last year, Stitt proposed a plan to legalize in-person and online sports betting. Tribes could operate in-person sportsbooks, while the state could issue an online license to any applicant.
“I promised Oklahomans if we pursued sports betting, we would do it right — and this plan does just that,” Stitt said in a release. “Thirty-five states have already legalized sports betting, and it’ll be a great revenue stream for the state. Tribes will be able to add it onto their existing infrastructure, and Oklahomans can access it right from their phone.”
The state would tax online sports betting sites at 20% and in-person wagers at tribal casinos at 15%. Stitt also recommended prohibiting college prop bets.
Sen. Casey Murdock introduced a bill carrying Stitt’s plan in February.
Oklahoma sports betting past
The tribes and multiple legislators, including some in Stitt’s Republican Party, oppose Stitt’s most recent plan. Last year, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat threatened to take over compact negotiations because of Stitt’s unsuccessful attempts so far.
In 2020, Stitt attempted to legalize sports betting through compact negotiations with only two tribes.
However, legislators sued the governor, and the Oklahoma courts denied the compacts.
Choctaw sports betting partner
Earlier this year, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma signed a deal with Kambi.
The partnership was made with “the ambition to become an online and retail sports betting powerhouse,” according to a press release.
The Choctaw Nation has ties and proximity to the potential Texas sports betting market. Along with a casino 90 miles north of Dallas, the tribe is also the exclusive casino partner of the Texas Rangers.
