Oklahoma Sports Betting

In November 2023, Governor Kevin Stitt unveiled his proposal to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma, a move designed to enable in-person betting at tribal gaming sites while safeguarding tribal investments in physical facilities.

Under the plan, Oklahomans would also have the opportunity to place mobile bets through state-licensed sportsbooks, with measures in place to protect student-athletes by prohibiting certain types of wagers. The proposal further outlines the taxation framework, with mobile wagering taxed at 20% and retail wagering conducted by federally recognized tribes taxed at 15%, under updated tribal gaming compacts.

The latest attempt to legalize online sports betting in the state failed to pass before the end of the 2024 legislative session. However, new legislation made progress in 2025.

In March 2025, the Oklahoma Senate approved Senate Bill 585 by a slim margin of 25-15, which would allow Native American tribes to accept in-person bets and mobile bets on tribal land, with the market regulated by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission. The bill would also authorize the issuance of one license to the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team, which could contract with a tribal-approved mobile sportsbook. Senator Bill Coleman estimates the state could generate $20 million in annual tax revenue from the proposal, which would tax online sports betting at a rate of 10%.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed two companion bills in March 2025: House Bill 1047 (62-31), which authorizes sports betting in Oklahoma with provisions for federally recognized tribes holding compacts with the state to run sports betting operations at a 10% tax rate; and House Bill 1101 (66-29), which establishes a voter referendum for sports betting that would take effect only if HB 1047 fails to become law. SB 585 passed the full Senate 25-15 on March 27, 2025, after an initial 24-22 failure required a successful reconsideration motion. All three bills faced strong opposition from Governor Kevin Stitt, who repeatedly stated he would veto any sports betting bill that granted exclusive rights to tribes, calling the legislation "tribal-pushed bills that are only going to benefit the tribes and not the citizens of Oklahoma."

HB 1047 advanced to the Oklahoma Senate, where the Senate Business and Insurance Committee passed it 8-1 in April 2025 — but with its enacting clause stricken, effectively gutting the bill unless the full Senate voted to restore it. On April 22, 2026, the full Oklahoma Senate rejected HB 1047 by a vote of 21-27, ending the most advanced sports betting effort in the state's history. Oklahoma remains one of 11 states without any form of legal sports betting. Legislators re-entered discussions in January 2026 seeking a framework that could address Governor Stitt's objections; further legislation is expected in the 2026 session.