- A recent amendment to House Bill 1047 brings Oklahoma sports betting the closest they’ve ever been to legalization.
- The bill would bring online sports betting and land-based sports betting to the state.
- The latest proposed amendment gives Oklahoma tribes the exclusive right to offer mobile and in-person sports betting.
OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma sports betting bill continues to race through state legislature after passing in the house and receiving a critical amendment in the Senate on Tuesday. House Bill 1047 plans to bring legal sports betting to Oklahoma by updating existing state gaming compacts to grant tribes exclusive rights to sports betting.
Under changes to Oklahoma’s Model Gaming Compact, federally-recognized tribes would be able to offer in-person sports betting and mobile wagering through partnerships with prominent US operators, like FanDuel or DraftKings. Since tribes already control casino gambling operations in Oklahoma, sports betting expansion would follow a similar framework.
How Is HB 1047 Different From Other Legalization Attempts?
With legal Oklahoma sports betting efforts failing to pass in past years, many people are curious how House Bill 1047 is different from previous efforts. The key to success is Tuesday’s amendment, which reflected an agreement with the Oklahoma City Thunder, local tribal nations, and even top public universities in Oklahoma.
In previous years, the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association claimed any sports betting expansion without their involvement would violate gaming compacts between their tribal nations and the state, but this new version of the bill is supported by the Association. In exchange for a 10% exclusivity fee, the tribes have the exclusive right to offer online and in-person sports betting, with part of that sports betting revenue going towards a fund that gives grants to the OKC Thunder.
From that perspective, House Bill 1047 appeases all involved parties, giving Oklahoma their best shot at legal sports betting ever. The next step is passing in the Seante, where the bill will then go back to the House for more consideration before landing on the governor’s desk. Even if Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt vetoes the bill (which is possible), a two-thirds majority vote from both chambers would override his veto and legalize online sports betting in Oklahoma.
