Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt claimed that the state’s tribes “are waiting until I’m out of office” to pursue sports betting legislation.
Bills proposing to legalize sports betting through the tribes failed to make it out of the Senate last month, but Stitt stated he would have vetoed the legislation either way.
Asked whether he was disappointed that the state again failed to move forward with sports betting plans, Stitt answered, “No, not disappointed. Actually, if it (would have been) the bill pushed by the casinos, I would have vetoed it anyway.”
The Governor had previously stated, These are tribal-pushed bills that are only going to benefit the tribes and not the citizens of Oklahoma.
Stitt and tribal leaders in deadlock
Stitt had proposed his own plan to legalize Oklahoma sports betting, favoring an open market approach that would allow corporate sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings to launch in the state.
“We analyzed the 30 or 40 states that actually have sports book and put a great plan together,” Stitt said. “We set it out to have more of a free-market approach. (But) as I’ve said before, I think the big casinos, the big bosses, are waiting until I’m out of office. So we’ll see what happens, I guess, in 2027.”
The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) insists that any legalization must respect the 1988 Tribal Gaming Compacts.
Chairman Matthew L. Morgan said, “We reiterate (that) in order not to breach the current state-tribal gaming compacts, any bill purporting to change gaming offerings available in Oklahoma would require a supplemental offer from the state to modify the existing gaming compact between tribal nations and the state, and each tribal leader would evaluate the bill on its own merits.”
Oklahoma and the 1988 IGRA
Oklahoma tribes began entering compacts under IGRA in the early 2000s. Most compacts granted exclusivity to tribes to run casinos in exchange for fees. In 2024, Oklahoma tribes paid the state $210 million for exclusivity rights.
Tribal revenue from Oklahoma casinos reached $3.4 billion last year. Projections estimate that legal sports betting could generate around $420 million annually, and at a tax rate of 10%, which was proposed in the most recent bill, that would add $42 million to state funds.
Sen. Bill Coleman, one of the sponsors of the recent effort to legalize sports betting, commented that he will look to bring stakeholders to the table for negotiations this summer. Stitt would favor a renegotiation of the gaming compact, but tribal leaders look unlikely to give up much ground.
As it is, Oklahoma remains one of the few states with no form of legal sports betting.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
