All bets are off: No legal sports betting for Oklahoma in 2025
Oklahoma will not be joining the growing list of states with legalised sports betting in 2025. This comes after a pair of bills that aimed to establish a legal framework failed to clear the state Senate ahead of the May 8 deadline for third-reading approval.
Senators couldn’t reach consensus
House Bills 1047 and 1101, sponsored by Rep. Ken Luttrell, received strong bipartisan support in the House earlier this session. However, neither of the bills got beyond the committee stage in the opposite chamber. Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton reportedly said that senators were unable to reach a consensus on the issue and instead plan to study it further during the summer.
HB 1047 outlined a plan that would have allowed Oklahoma’s tribes to offer both in-person and online sports wagering on tribal lands, with a proposed 10 percent tax rate. Luttrell worked closely with tribal representatives and the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association to draft the legislation. However, after HB 1047 was passed through a Senate committee, the bill’s enacting clause was removed, effectively halting its progress. HB 1101 was designed as a safety net. That bill also stalled would likely have faced opposition from Governor Kevin Stitt if it had progressed.
Gov. Stitt has consistently opposed any legislation that would limit online sports betting to tribal operators, arguing that such an approach would create a monopoly. In February, he said he would “absolutely veto” any bills that restricted online sports wagering to tribal-only platforms.
Land-based betting exclusive for tribes: Gov. Stitt
Meanwhile, the governor continues to advocate for his own proposal, introduced in November 2023, which would legalise both retail and online sports betting. Under his plan, tribes would retain exclusive rights to land-based betting, while online licenses would be open to non-tribal operators. His plan also includes a 15 percent tax on retail betting and a 20 percent tax on online wagers. Tribes, however, have pushed back, stating they were not consulted and alleged that the plan could violate the Tribal Gaming Act.
Last month, efforts to legalise sports betting in Oklahoma were put on hold. Just hours before the hearing was to be held by a subcommittee of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee on Monday, 7 March 2025, lawmakers unexpectedly removed from a scheduled committee discussion. In January, Oklahoma lawmakers started taking a closer look at legalising sports betting as a potential solution to offset a projected revenue decline in the state. With the elimination of the grocery tax expected to impact state finances in 2025, sports betting is emerging as a possible economic boost.
