The Senate Business and Insurance Committee passed two bills on Thursday that could bring Oklahoma sports betting.
The committee voted 8-1 in favor of passing House Bill 1047, which proposes allowing the state’s federally recognized tribes to offer sports betting.
Additionally, House Bill 1101 was passed in a 6-3 vote in favor. The bill proposes giving residents a referendum on sports betting if HB1047 is rejected.
Both bills will now advance to the Senate floor for debate. The state has until May 30th to pass new legislation in this session.
Proposal for Oklahoma sports betting
Rep. Ken Luttrell created HB1047 and advocates for a 10% tax on tribal sports betting. There are over 30 tribal casinos in Oklahoma, and the bill would allow sports betting both on-site and online.
The casinos generated over $3.47 billion in revenue last year and contributed over $210 million to the state in exclusivity fees. Only California’s tribal casinos generated more revenue in 2024 than Oklahoma.
With a thriving market, the tribes have been pushing for an extension of their operations into the lucrative sports betting market. The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) worked with Luttrell to craft the bill.
Luttrell believes this has led to a proposal that will benefit both the tribes and the public. He commented, “These bills represent a balanced approach, ensuring both tribal and public interests are served. By legalizing sports betting, we’re not only creating new opportunities but also capturing revenue from millions of dollars that are currently being bet illegally or out of state.”
He estimates that legal Oklahoma sports betting could generate the state anywhere between $14 million to $42 million in tax revenue.
This revenue is currently lost to nearby states and unlicensed operators. Crypto betting sites, sweepstakes sportsbooks, and prediction markets offer betting options without state regulation.
Sen. Dave Rader supports the bill as it will bring revenue into the state instead of sending it to other states with legal sports betting. Rader commented, “If some of our citizens are asking for it and going across the state line to do this, we should do something to keep those dollars in our state.”
No input from Governor Stitt
Oklahoma’s Governor, Kevin Stitt, did not have any input on the bills and believes they are too heavily influenced by tribal interests.
In a news conference he stated, “None of those bills that have moved off the floors of the House or Senate have got my input on them. As a matter of fact, they’ve excluded the governor of the State of Oklahoma from these discussions. These are tribal-pushed bills that are only going to benefit the tribes and not the citizens of Oklahoma.”
Attorney General Gentner Drummond, however, believes that tribal prosperity will lead to prosperity across the state. He said, “When the tribes are successful economically, the entire state benefits economically. It is not lost on me when I travel throughout the state to see the remarkable advancements that each of you have had.”
Another bill proposing to give Oklahoma City Thunder a sports betting license was withdrawn earlier this month.
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