Oklahoma advances tribal-backed sports betting bill

Oklahoma lawmakers introduced an amended sports-betting bill that would let tribes offer retail and mobile wagering through existing gaming compacts. The substitute, advanced by Sen. Bill Coleman and Rep. Ken Luttrell, is scheduled for a Senate vote this week; if approved it would return to the House for a final vote before reaching the governor.

The substitute replaces the stalled 2025 HB 1047 and creates a framework tying sports wagering to the state’s tribal compact system. Under the proposal, Oklahoma tribes could host wagers on tribal lands and partner with commercial operators. All betting would be legally attributed to the tribal sites where servers are located. The state would collect an 8% fee on adjusted sports betting revenue.

The bill removes a fixed revenue-sharing mandate between tribes and commercial operators, allowing tribes and operators to negotiate terms directly. It assigns all state revenue from NBA and WNBA wagers to early childhood literacy programs. Remaining funds would be split among higher education, student development programs, workforce initiatives and a tourism-focused fund linked to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The measure also sets a fixed monthly deposit to support problem-gambling treatment and education.

Sen. Coleman called the filing a result of years of negotiation and described the proposal as intended to balance tribal interests with broader market demand. Rep. Luttrell said lawmakers worked with tribal partners and the Thunder over an extended period to refine the language.

Lawmakers say the substitute has the backing of a supermajority of tribes in the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, along with public universities and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Support from those groups addresses disputes that stalled earlier bills after House approval in 2025.

Governor Kevin Stitt remains a potential hurdle. The governor has supported legal sports betting under a free-market model rather than one run through tribal compacts. The governor’s office reiterated that Stitt will only back a free-market approach and criticized past compacts for lacking transparency and fair market rates.

If the Senate approves the amended substitute, the House will vote again before sending the measure to the governor. Proponents say the bill aims to create a regulated market that shifts bets away from unregulated sites; opponents favor opening the market to non-tribal commercial operators without compacts. The Senate vote this week will determine whether the proposal advances in the legislative process.