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The push to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma suffered a setback after state lawmakers shot down the proposal for the second year in a row.
House Bill 1027 would have opened the door to online and in-person sports betting. But the bill did not meet the Senate’s advance deadline, meaning all bets are off until next year.
Tribal nations have exclusive gaming rights in Oklahoma. In return, they pay monthly fees to the state, which totaled $200 million last year.
But the current agreement does not include sports betting. No one can agree on how to increase it.
“It became clear during the process that there were too many unresolved issues that ultimately killed it this year,” Sen. Bill Coleman said in a statement. The Ponca City Republican is the main supporter of the Senate proposal.
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Supporters hope Oklahoma will catch up with neighboring states that already allow people to use their phones to bet on sports outcomes. Online betting is expanding rapidly in the US
Whether or not Oklahoma can legalize sports betting this year is seen as a key test of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s promise to work with tribal leaders in his second term. He challenged the current state-tribal gaming agreement as unfair after he first took office. There are signs that friction still exists at play.
Coleman said Stitt should work with tribal leaders to promote sports betting.
While Stitt expressed support for sports betting, a spokeswoman did not respond to questions about whether the governor had met with tribal leaders in recent months to discuss the terms that would apply to all.
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Coleman blamed the bill’s failure in part on a “lack of coordination between the executive branch and tribal leadership.”
“When dealing with our tribal partners, compacting, and all the nuances that come with exclusivity and future game negotiations, we need to get the governor in the same room with the tribal leaders to build the conversation started this year in the legislature,” Coleman said in his statement.
Matthew Morgan, who heads the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, said he has never met with Stitt to discuss sports betting.
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Many tribal leaders want to find a way to bring sports betting to the state, he said, but it has to make economic sense not to jeopardize the current compact.
The industry group did not take a position on HB 1027.
Its main supporter in the House, Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, said in March that the bill was not in final form. He said he plans to rework the proposal before it is put to a vote in the Senate.
In the end, it never made it that far.
“While I’m disappointed we didn’t hit the jackpot this year in sports betting, I look forward to continuing the open dialogue with our tribal partners and the governor’s office, which I plan to hold with Sen. Coleman,” said Luttrell in a statement.
Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs. Contact her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534.
