Oklahoma official says legalized sports wagering depends on Governor Stitt and Tribal negotiations

The fate of Oklahoma legalized sports betting could be in the hands of Governor Kevin Stitt, other legislative leaders and their relationships with local Tribes, according to an official, said a Tulsa News local report.

State lawmakers previously struck down a recent sports betting bill that made it to the Senate committee. The bill failed to advance because the Senate committee wanted to see continued dialogue between the governor and Tribes.

However, Oklahoma Representative Ken Luttrell has introduced another bill, HB 1027, which recently made it past the preliminary stages needed to go the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee and won the vote in the 59th legislature.

The proposed legislation would have “authorized in-person and digital sports gambling through Oklahoma’s Tribal gaming compacts.”

Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Chair Matthew Morgan described potential legalization as a lengthy process.

He told Tulsa News, “Sports betting – it’s been the topic on everybody’s mind for three to four years, and we continually hear it. We have an impasse with the Chief Executive of the state of Oklahoma.”

During a panel discussion at the annual OIGA Conference and Trade Show, Morgan went on to address the growing interest in sports betting options around the state.

He commented, “Probably every one of your (casino) customers walk in and say, ‘Can I?’ ‘When are we going to do this?’ ‘We want to have it.’ ‘We look at 34 states across the country that have it.’

“First thing I tell them is, anybody that wants to sports bet in this state, they are. Let’s not kid ourselves. They are. They’re not doing it legally, but they are sports betting – whether they do it on the internet, whether they’re doing it with a group of friends, whether they have a bookie that they call … it’s just not well-regulated, it’s not legal … nobody’s getting any benefit off it.”

Elena Rodriguez

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