Sens. Coleman, Murdock hopeful Stitt's support of sports betting will move issue next session

Sen. Coleman responds to governor’s sports betting plan

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, released the following statement Friday after the governor announced a plan to advance sports betting in Oklahoma. Coleman is the Senate principal author of House Bill 1027, along with Rep. Ken Luttrell, to legalize sports betting in the state. The bill was introduced during the 2023 legislative session where it received House approval and will be available for further consideration by the Senate when session convenes in February.

“I’m somewhat surprised by the governor’s unexpected sports betting proposal given I already have an active piece of legislation, House Bill 1027, in the Senate to legalize sports betting and he has never reached out to share his support of the idea or to offer any other input on this important economic development issue. It’s frustrating that he didn’t feel it necessary to collaborate with those of us who have been diligently working on this major issue for over a year now, but I’m hopeful that will change in the coming weeks.

“While the governor’s plan might be a starting point, I’ll be interested to see if he has contacted or worked with our tribal partners to get their input. A lack of coordination between the executive branch and tribal leadership was the main reason our bill stalled this session. When dealing with the tribes, compacting, and the many nuances with exclusivity and future gaming negotiations, it’s imperative that Governor Stitt work in good faith with our tribal partners. I’m not sure he’ll garner much support given his plan, among other things, asks the tribes to give up their online share of sports gaming, which nationally accounts for 95% of total revenues.

“However, I am optimistic that Gov. Stitt is showing interest in bringing sports betting to Oklahoma. As I’ve said before, this would be an incredible economic boon for us and one that 37 other states have already taken advantage of. We need to seize this opportunity to create jobs and millions in new revenue. With more tribal casinos than any other state and three successful horse tracks, Oklahoma is primed for sports betting.

“I urge the governor to work with me, my House author Rep. Luttrell, and others who have been working on this issue, as well as the tribal nations because without their support, there will be no change. The governor’s plan needs some work but that’s what the legislative process is about – coordination, collaboration, and consensus – and I’m looking forward to it.”

Murdock supports governor’s sports betting plan

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, issued the following statement in support of Governor Stitt’s plan to bring sports betting to Oklahoma, which was announced on November 2.

“I think that this is a fantastic opportunity to not only welcome new economic, tourism, and recreational opportunities to Oklahoma but also address the discrimination faced by Oklahomans who enjoy attending sporting events such as the Kentucky Derby or the Breeders Cup. It is unfair that they are not allowed to place bets online solely because they live in Oklahoma. The Governor's plan not only helps increase revenue coming into the state but also provides opportunities to every single Oklahoman.

“Oklahoma sports have always garnered high levels of enthusiasm, and embracing sports betting is an obvious move for our state and districts.”

The plan includes opportunities for tax revenue for the state, as well as guidelines for transparency and accountability in support of consumer protection.

For a fact sheet detailing sports betting in Oklahoma, click here.

Legislative authors lament sports betting bill failing to advance this session

After a bill that would have legalized sports betting in Oklahoma failed to advance through a State Senate committee before a crucial legislative deadline, the authors of the measure are lamenting the fact that Oklahoma is "missing out" on all that juicy tax revenue that would have resulted from passage of the bill.

Drooling over more tax revenue, House passes bill to legalize sports betting

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House Approves Sports Betting

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 21st) – The Oklahoma House of Representatives gave the stamp of approval Tuesday to legislation to legalize sports betting and potentially bring in over $9 million a year to the state budget.

Legislators think sports betting would be "economic boon" for state (and fill the tax coffers, of course)

When legislators say that even more gambling in Oklahoma would be "an economic boom for the state", they're actually drooling over the prospect of collecting more taxes -- who cares about the social detriment it brings.

Coleman signs on to author sports betting bill in Senate

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Bill Coleman announced Wednesday that he will be signing on as the Senate author of fellow Ponca City Republican Rep. Ken Luttrell’s House Bill 1027 to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma. An avid sports enthusiast, Coleman said the change would be an economic boon for the state and he hopes the Legislature seizes the opportunity before it’s too late.

“Oklahomans love their sports – we have the lottery, three horse tracks, and the most tribal casinos of any state. Sports betting through our tribal partners would simply provide another opportunity for our state’s sports fanatics to have some fun while creating thousands of new jobs and millions in revenue to further boost our economy,” Coleman said. “With the popularity of sports betting exploding around the nation, I hope our legislative colleagues realize the tremendous fiscal impact this will have on our state and approve sports betting this session.”

HB 1027 would create a new compact that tribes could decide whether to enter into, allowing both mobile and in-person sports betting in the state. A tribe that agreed to the compact would give 4% of the first $5 million in sports betting annual gross revenue to the state, 5% of the following $5 million of adjusted gross revenue, and finally 6% of all future adjusted gross revenue. Any agreement would need to be submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior for approval.

Thirty-five of Oklahoma’s 38 federally recognized tribes have signed gaming compacts with the state, and there are 143 tribal casinos and gaming centers statewide that could possibly offer sports betting. Currently, sports betting is already legal in 36 other states, including Kansas where Coleman lives near. 

“I recently drove over an hour to Kansas to place some sports bets and there were numerous other Oklahoma tags in the parking lot,” Coleman said. “It’s estimated that approving sports betting could generate $240 million in revenue and create more than 3,000 jobs. We’re missing a huge opportunity.”