- Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said he will veto any bills providing tribes with sports betting excluvisity
- Stitt wants a free sports betting market in the state and opposes tribal control
- Three bills have advanced in the Senate to legalize sports betting
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) will not budge from his desire to have an open Oklahoma sports betting market.
During a press conference last week, Stitt reaffirmed his preference to not provide exclusive control or a monopoly to Oklahoma tribes for sports betting.
“I will absolutely veto any bills that hit my desk that are exclusively giving a monopoly to the tribes that is not transparent, is not a fair deal, and not everyone can do it,” he said.
Stitt Wants Free Sports Betting Market
Gov. Stitt opposes tribal exclusivity for Oklahoma sports betting and has expressed desires to bring in outside entities to participate in the online portion if the state passes a sports betting bill.
He pointed to a plan he introduced in 2023 (and again in 2024) as a fair deal for the state.
Under his plan, available online sports betting licenses would go through a public bidding process to maximize revenues for the state.
“The statewide sportsbook would be just a free market. It would be open for anybody to bid on it. That way it’s transparent, it’s accountable, and that way we can maximize the revenue to the state of Oklahoma,” he said.
However, Oklahoma tribal casinos would have exclusive control over retail sports betting, which would be taxed at a 15% rate.
A monopoly provided to the tribes for everything Oklahoma sports betting is “not transparent, is not a fair deal, and not everyone can do it.”
“Unfortunately what happens here, they hire lobbyists. They’re sovereign nations, they’re a separate government, and they’re coming in and hiring lobbyists to say what’s good for their nation, not what’s good for the taxpayers of Oklahoma. I’m always going to stand what’s good for the taxpayers of Oklahoma,” he said.
Nothing is excluding the tribes from entering the same public bidding process for an online sports betting license, he said, that other companies will be participating in as well.
Several Introduced Bills Provide Tribal Control
Three sports betting bills have been moved through Senate committees, with two of the three providing exclusive control to Oklahoma tribes.
Stitt has said he will veto these bills if they are eventually approved in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Sen. Casey Murdock (R-27), and Dave Rader’s (R-39) legislation, SB 164 and SB 125, both provide Oklahoma tribes with a sports betting monopoly.
Murdock’s bill, SB 164, authorizes the Oklahoma Lottery Commission to regulate sports betting and allow tribes and certain non-tribal entities to acquire “sports pools” licenses.
A sports pool is described in the legislation as “any in-person wagering and wagering conducted on a mobile device on the outcome of sporting events or other events, other than horse or other animal races.”
Murdock’s bill has been moved to the Senate appropriations committee.
A committee also approved Rader’s bill, SB 125, which will allow Oklahoma Tribes to amend their gaming compacts to offer retail and online sports betting in the state. Rader pre-filed his bill in January before the legislative session began.
The bill provides complete sports betting control to the state tribes.
Rader’s bill has been placed on the Senate’s general orders.
Sen. Bill Coleman’s (R-10) bill, SB 585, is the only bill to allow an outside license holder. His legislation allows the 38 recognized Oklahoma tribes to offer retail sports betting at tribal casinos and online sports betting off tribal lands. His bill also allows the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire an online sports betting license as well.
His legislation sets the state tax rate at 10% of net sportsbook revenues, which he estimates would see an additional $20 million annual in revenue for the state.
Coleman’s bill has been placed on the Senate’s general orders as well.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced his decision to veto two bills that would have granted a sports betting monopoly to Native American tribes in the state. The bills, HB 2667 and SB 1302, were passed by the state legislature earlier this year and would have allowed tribes to exclusively offer sports betting at their casinos.
In a statement released by the governor’s office, Stitt cited concerns about the constitutionality of the bills and the potential negative impact on competition in the sports betting market. He also expressed his belief that all gaming operators in the state should have an equal opportunity to participate in the sports betting industry.
The decision to veto the bills comes after months of negotiations between the governor and tribal leaders over gaming compacts. Stitt has been pushing for a new compact that would allow the state to collect a larger share of gaming revenue from tribes, but negotiations have stalled over disagreements about revenue sharing and exclusivity rights.
Tribal leaders have expressed disappointment with the governor’s decision, arguing that the bills would have provided much-needed revenue for their communities and helped to level the playing field in the sports betting market. They have also raised concerns about the impact of the veto on their ability to offer competitive gaming options to customers.
Despite the veto, it is likely that the issue of sports betting in Oklahoma will continue to be a point of contention between the governor and tribal leaders. Both sides will need to come to an agreement on gaming compacts in order to move forward with legalizing sports betting in the state.
In the meantime, sports betting enthusiasts in Oklahoma will have to wait for further developments before they can place their bets legally. The vetoed bills represent just one chapter in the ongoing saga of gaming compacts and sports betting in the state, and it remains to be seen how the issue will ultimately be resolved.
