The Oklahoma Legislature is nearly a month into its 2024, and there appears to be no movement in either chamber on bills that would make the Sooner State the 39th to legalize sports betting in the U.S.
House Bill 1027, which passed the House in last year’s session, is still active in the Senate. It would include sports betting rights, both retail and mobile, in the model tribal gaming compact. While it has been assigned to the Senate Finance Committee, it is not yet scheduled for a hearing before that panel.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1434 was filed in that chamber by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt. Murdock’s bill would allow the state lottery to issue licenses, which seemingly would give commercial operators access to the Oklahoma sports betting market without needing a tribal partner. That means the bill is likely to face significant opposition in the largest tribal gaming in the country.
SB 1434 has been assigned to the Appropriations Committee. It has yet to act on the bill. It has just more than two weeks left to be considered in the Oklahoma Senate before its March 14 crossover deadline.
The Senate will have longer to work with HB 1027. The deadline for it to leave the committee is April 11, and it must get a vote by April 25.
Lawmakers Back Ban On Student-Athlete Player Props
Four months ago, Gov. Kevin Stitt unveiled his Oklahoma sports betting proposal, and like Murdock’s bill, Stitt wants the state to oversee licensing for online Oklahoma sports betting apps. Although the governor’s plan does include allowing brick-and-mortar sportsbooks at Indian casinos, tribal gaming leaders quickly rejected the governor’s plan.
Still, there have been some aspects of Stitt’s plan that have been picked up by lawmakers who support HB 1027. Sen. Bill Coleman, the Ponca City Republican serving as the primary sponsor in the Senate, told BetOklahoma.com Tuesday that the bill will be amended to prohibit proposition wagering on college student-athletes.
Last week, Ohio became the latest sports betting state to bar its licensed sports betting operators from offering those wagers. The NCAA requested the move, saying it wants to protect the integrity of its contests. In addition, the governing body for collegiate sports said those types of wagers make college athletes targets of harassing behavior.
New Tribal Compact Rules Won’t Spur Oklahoma Sports Betting
Meanwhile, it does not appear that new rules announced by the federal government regarding gaming compacts would help Oklahoma tribal nations get quicker access to statewide mobile sports betting rights.
Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs published new guidance for tribes and states entering into gaming compacts. Once the new rules take effect next month, compacts will be able to include language giving tribes to offer online sports betting and online casinos statewide. It would still be considered tribal gaming because the servers would be located on the federally recognized nation’s sovereign land.
However, a key provision in the rule indicates that sports betting must be legal within the state in order for it to be included in the compact. That would still require Oklahoma lawmakers to pass a sports betting law in order for tribes to offer.
Stay with BetOklahoma.com for continued coverage of sports betting and the best Oklahoma sportsbook promos as soon as they become available.
