Oklahoma Sports Betting Bill Moves Forward
By Dani Medina
February 22, 2022
A bill that would legalize sports betting in Oklahoma got the green light this week.
On Monday, a House committee passed the bill that would legalize sports betting in tribal casinos in a vote of six to four, according to KOCO. Next, the bill is set to move to a full house.
To be clear, if the bill is passed, it won't allow for online sports betting — just in-person betting at tribal casinos in the state.
There's a snag, however. The governor needs to sit down with the tribes and discuss their gaming compact, according to KOCO. Although there are issues in the working relationship between the two, it would be an economic boost for not only the state, but the tribes as well.
The bill, sponsored by Representative Ken Luttrell, would allow the money that Oklahomans already spend on sports betting elsewhere to remain in state. "Oklahomans are sending millions of their dollars down to the Caribbean in online sports betting. The state is making no income from that. No share from that. The tribes are not getting any share of that income," Luttrell told KOCO.