A series of bills to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma cleared committees in the House and Senate last week, but it remains unclear if the executive branch and tribal officials will be able to strike a deal. 

House Bill 1047 by Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, would legalize sports wagering and grant the tribal nations exclusive rights to negotiate a gaming compact. The state would receive 10% of the adjusted monthly gross revenue from sports betting. 

Luttrell, who has run similar legislation since 2022, said neighboring Kansas received $193 million in revenue from sports betting in 2024. He said the tribes would be free to do business in “whatever way is best for their customers” if the legislation is enacted. 

“We’re not going to tell them who to do their business with or regulate geofencing to traditional tribal boundaries,” Luttrell told members of the House Appropriations and Budget Select Agencies Subcommittee on Feb. 10. 

A similar measure, House Bill 1101, would authorize a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment if HB1047 fails. Such an effort would not require the governor’s approval to appear before voters. Gov. Kevin Stitt has consistently opposed tribal exclusivity for sports betting. 

The Senate Business and Insurance Committee advanced three bills to legalize sports betting in various forms. Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, said the bills will likely evolve as negotiations between the governor, tribal officials and the Oklahoma City Thunder continue.

Sports betting in casinos or racetracks is legal in 38 states, while 27 states have authorized mobile sports betting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for sports betting to explode. 

Proponents of sports betting say it’s an easy way for states to generate tax revenue and prop up education, infrastructure and other needs. Critics question the long-term effect on vulnerable populations and the potential to compromise the integrity of sports, especially college athletics. 

A group of university researchers studying the issue found that sports betting did not replace other gambling revenue in states where it was legalized, but instead reduced savings and increased credit card debt as individuals made risky bets. There’s also a preliminary link between sports betting legalization and higher rates of domestic violence.

Professional athletes have reported  increased harassment from bettors. New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson detailed his experience in an interview with The Athletic, noting that angry bettors will call him racial slurs and demand their money back if he didn’t hit a prop bet. 

Luttrell’s bill calls for $25,000 per month to be sent to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to treat compulsive gambling, up from the $20,833 the agency currently receives. 

Have thoughts or questions on this issue? Let me know at Kross@Oklahomawatch.org. 

— Keaton Ross

Recommended Reading

• Latino community plans for mass deportations as Trump immigration policies pushed in Oklahoma: In the days following the Inauguration of President Donald Trump, hundreds of members of south Oklahoma City’s predominantly Latino immigrant community attended a legal clinic hosted by the Oklahoma Latino Legislative Caucus and other community groups. [KGOU]
• Oklahoma governor rejects immigration checks in schools, says Walters should be ‘held accountable’: Stitt, who replaced three Board of Education members last week, accused state Superintendent Ryan Walters of using “kids as political pawns” to launch a campaign for higher office. [Oklahoma Voice]
• As Oklahoma faces less water and more demand, lawmakers revive talk of stricter monitoring: As water levels fluctuate with periodic droughts, state officials are paying more attention to usage and how much water is drawn from aquifers. But without accurate data on exactly how much water is being used, it’s difficult to plan for the future. [The Frontier]

Help Us Make a Difference

Oklahoma needs high-quality investigative journalism. That is our mission at Oklahoma Watch. We produce stories that hold government and public officials accountable and that make transparent what some prefer to keep secret. We depend on financial support from readers like you to sustain our coverage. Help us make a difference.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X
• LinkedIn
• Threads