Lawmakers in the Sooner State may again consider if they want legal sports betting — and soon, too.
Oklahoma is one of just 14 states that does not have any authorized retail or online sports betting sites. That, however, could change in the upcoming legislative session after Republican Rep. Ken Luttrell introduced House Bill 1027 on December 29.
The legislation, if passed, could allow in-person and online sports betting through Native American tribes. In return for the sports-betting concession, a tribe would have to agree to turn over 4% of the first $5 million in annual gross revenue from sports betting, 5% of the next $5 million of adjusted gross revenue, and then 6% of all adjusted gross revenue afterward.
A tribe that agrees to offer sports betting would have to submit the agreement to the U.S. Department of the Interior for approval. Moreover, the legislation is proposed to come into effect on Nov. 1, 2023, which would be in the middle of, but after the start of, next year's football season.
House Bill Filed In New Effort To Legalize Sports Betting In Oklahoma https://t.co/B6XhCzWhMf
— News On 6 (@NewsOn6) December 31, 2022
Oklahoma has no legal sports betting right now, but it does have more than 100 casinos and several racetracks. There are more than 30 federally recognized tribes in the state as well, 35 of which have gaming compacts with the Oklahoma government.
However, Oklahoma is slowly being encircled by states with legal sports betting, such as Kansas, which launched retail and mobile wagering last year. Lawmakers in nearby Texas are also preparing to reconsider the subject, further ratcheting up the pressure on legislators to the north.
Luttrell filed similar legislation in the past but it never made it to a vote. Nevertheless, the lawmaker told News On 6 in Tulsa that the tax revenue structure is different this time out, with a "sliding fee" rather than a flat 10% charge.
"The more they make, the more the state would benefit from it,” Luttrell said. “And we certainly want to see our tribal partners prosper at this and be worth their while.”
