Oklahoma’s leading gaming tribes laid out a position backing legal sports betting in the state, a move that could bring approved online and retail sportsbooks.
The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) announced this week amended language to a pair of long-stalled sports betting authorization bills. The OIGA wrote in a statement these latest updates would not harm existing gaming regulations, follow standard legislative change procedures and assure “economic sense” for the state’s potential legal sports betting market.
Tribal backing could be a key step in pushing forward potential mobile and retail sportsbook authorization after years of stalled negotiations.
“Our membership has been listening carefully to the conversations around sports betting legislation in Oklahoma,” said OIGA Chairman Matthew Morgan in a statement. “We have also met with those proposing legislation and some of the key entities supporting the proposed legislation.”
Oklahoma sports betting background
Oklahoma politicians and tribes have considered sports betting since the Supreme Court struck down the federal wagering ban in 2018. The problem has been determining which stakeholders could take bets.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, who took office in 2019, backed proposals that would let both tribal and non-tribal gaming entities accept bets. The tribes have so far resisted any effort that would allow gaming outside their purview.
This led to a stalemate in the legislature. After previous efforts fell short, multiple bills supporters introduced earlier this year also gained little momentum so far.
In the statement, Morgan said the latest recommendations to two stalled bills “stays true to our guiding principles and puts forth a position that has broad tribal support and attempts to be inclusive of other stakeholders within the parameters of the law.”
Tribal gaming leaders have pushed against Stitt’s more expansive proposals and previously said they'd be willing to wait to work with a new administration when the term-limited incumbent leaves office in Jan. 2027.
With Texas not set to have legal sportsbooks until at least 2027, Oklahoma could be the big winner if it legalizes sports betting itself; the state's leading tribal gaming group came out this week with a position for legal wagering, one that could include additional stakeholders
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) March 25, 2025
Under any sports betting authorization, Oklahoma tribal stakeholders have remained non-committal about partnering with major national commercial sportsbook operators. Other tribal gaming states including Arizona (pro sports teams), Michigan (commercial casinos) and Connecticut (the state lottery) have tribal-commercial partnerships and let non-tribal entities take bets.
Oklahoma has no commercial casinos. The state’s lone professional sports team, the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, has been a proposed license. Additional proposals would put sports betting under the Oklahoma Lottery Commission's domain.
If the tribes don't work with commercial operators, they could partner with third-party tech operators to create self-branded mobile or retail books. Neighboring Arkansas has a similar structure with its three commercial casinos, and other tribal gaming states, including Wisconsin, are considering mobile sportsbooks while working with tech companies such as Kambi on in-house platforms.
Denying major U.S. brands including DraftKings and FanDuel, which spent hundreds of millions of dollars on marketing and brand recognition, could curtail the market’s potential. Customers are less familiar with in-house or local casino brands, which typically don’t have the financial resources to attract players with free bets and other promos like the major commercial ones.
Oklahoma has 38 gaming tribes and dozens of in-person casinos throughout the state. A handful of them including the Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Seminole and Creek Nations, operate massive casinos including the nearly 400,000-square foot Winstar casino complex in Thackerville near the Texas border, which could draw significant attention even if using an in-house brand.
Texas' delays could be Oklahoma’s gain
Continued Oklahoma sports betting discussions come as Texas remains years from approving legal sportsbooks.
Texas’ 2025 sports betting efforts gained little traction after a 2023 proposal passed the state House of Representatives with widespread bipartisan support but didn’t get a Senate vote. With lawmakers only meeting in regular session in odd-numbered years, and any such sports betting authorization requiring approval on a ballot measure offered in even-numbered years, legal wagering is unlikely to be approved until 2028 at the earliest.
Oklahoma gaming tribes have publicly campaigned against Texas gambling expansion. A massive portion of the state’s casino patrons are from North Texas, spending hundreds of millions annually.
With a still vibrant offshore market as well as new options through contract platforms such as Kalshi and Robinhood available in Texas, it’s unclear how many Texans would cross the border to bet with sportsbooks. Still, this new gaming form would undoubtedly be a driver for sports-crazy Texas and the multiple casinos that are less than 75 miles from the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
