An Oklahoma House Committee has given its initial approval to a House bill that would allow tribal casinos to launch sportsbooks on their properties.
House Bill 3008 passed through the Committee by a vote of 6-4 with those opposed to the bill eager to see the state enter into negotiations with tribal groups before giving their support to the proposed gaming expansion.
Speaking of the bill and the need for further discussion, Rep. Kevin West said:
“If this passes, the state would get 10%, we’ve seen in other states where they’ve made agreements for up to 25% of the take, so I’m not necessarily saying we need more of take, but all entities need to be involved.”
The bill’s author, Rep. Ken Luttrell said that he’d be happy if the bill resulted in opening the discussion on sports betting. He told local press:
“I would be happy to facilitate that, get everybody to the table and have some good open dialogue and discussion about this, it’s not a make or break for the tribal entities.”
According to Luttrell, the launch of legal sports betting in Oklahoma has the potential to create thousands of jobs and significant revenue for both the state and tribes. Although the bill will allow all tribes to offer sports betting, not all tribal groups have agreed to opt-in.
The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association stated that it is not at liberty to share what concerns their members may have. However, Mathew Morgan, spokesperson for the association said:
“Our members are very interested in the subject, they engage quite regularly within their own communities and their local representatives and state senators. Everybody is unique when it comes to their markets and what they would like to see.”
House Bill 3008 does not include provisions for mobile sports betting, but according to Luttrell, if his bill passes, it would only be a matter of time before mobile sports betting launched in Oklahoma.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.