New Momentum for Oklahoma Legal Sports Betting Bill With Vote Expected
A bill to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma was recently revived with new amendments, as another bill was passed to ban sweepstakes casinos in the Buckeye State.
While the betting bill is backed by Native American tribes in the state and a vote is expected this week, there is still the hurdle of a possible veto by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
The new amendments were added to an Oklahoma legal sports betting bill from last year that did not pass in the state Senate.
Backing the bill for Oklahoma legal sports betting
Oklahoma Sen. Bill Coleman and Rep. Ken Luttrell recently said in a press release that they had secured support for the sports betting bill. They got the backing from the state’s Native American tribes, public colleges, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are currently in the playoffs and looking to repeat as NBA champions. The new language in the bill outlines the design for sports betting, both in-person and mobile, and how tax revenue would be distributed.
The backing is key, as it highlights a key issue that has caused previous attempts to legalize sports betting to fail. The Oklahoma tribes and state lawmakers, especially the governor, have failed to reach an agreement, leading to stalled legislation.
HB 1047 was the original bill, and it passed in the House last year before failing in the Senate. If the amended bill passes in the House again, it will also go to a vote in the Senate.
Tribal framework
The new measure would allow for both retail and mobile sports betting in Oklahoma, run by the state’s tribes.
The tribes would be able to partner with sports betting operators, with the betting credited to the tribes' lands where the servers are located. Negotiations between the tribes and operators, such as BetMGM and DraftKings, would be open and would not require revenue sharing.
Where the money goes
If the new measure becomes law, the tribes and operators will have to reach an agreement on the sports betting tax rate. However, it has been stipulated that Oklahoma will receive 8% of tax revenue. The money will be divided among educational programs, state employment programs, and a fund to increase the global reach of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.
Two specific aspects of the measure state that a monthly deposit would be made into a fund for problem gambling services, and that all tax revenue from NBA and WNBA games would be allocated to literacy programs for children.
The governor must be on board
While the state tribes are in favor of the amended bill, and there is renewed legislative fervor, Gov. Stitt needs to be on board. While he supports legalizing sports betting, he favors a free market for the industry rather than tribal control. He has stated that sports betting only benefits the tribes.
It remains to be seen whether he changes his stance on the new measure, which would allocate 8% of tax revenue to the state. However, a governor spokesperson recently told a local TV outlet, “Gov. Stitt has been clear that he will only support a free market approach to sports betting in Oklahoma.
"No legislation has reached his desk yet, so we won’t comment on specifics of pending legislation.”
