The Senate committee shockingly defeated a gambling bill that would have legalized sports betting in Oklahoma, both retail and online. That means Oklahomans will have to wait until next year for the chance to bet on sports legally in their state.
House Bill 1027
HB 1027 gained momentum in March when it passed the House and moved on to the Senate. Rep. Ken Luttrell authored the bill. He had high hopes that the idea would get more support and become law. Legalizing sports betting is intended to boost the economy and generate more tax revenue.
“While I’m disappointed we didn’t hit a jackpot this year on sports betting, I look forward to continued open dialogue with our tribal partners and the Governor’s office, which I plan to facilitate with Senator Coleman,” Luttrell said in a statement.
“The 66-26 vote in the House demonstrates that legislators fully understand the economic impact, the need for improved regulation of the betting industry, the desire our citizens have for this, and the importance of ensuring a level, competitive playing field for the tribes.”
The latest ruling effectively pushes legal sports betting into limbo, at least until the next session starts, which is in February next year.
What HB 1027 Would Have Allowed
Along with legalizing in-person betting, the proposal also called for mobile betting to be permitted.
Oklahoma tribes would have also been allowed to provide both online and offline sports betting under HB 1027. For Oklahoma’s tribal gaming partners, Luttrell claimed that enabling tribes to operate sports betting “levels the playing field”.
Tribes would have had to pay specified fees and go through the process of amending their gaming agreements with the state. In accordance with OK gambling laws, the state would have received:
- The first $5 million in monthly net winnings, or 4%.
- 5% of the following $5 million in adjusted gross income, which is calculated as total receipts less money paid out.
- 6% of the annual adjusted gross revenue from all sports betting.
The General Revenue Fund would have received 12% of the money generated. The Education Reform Revolving Fund would have received the remaining 88%.
What’s Next for HB 1027 and Oklahoma Sports Betting?
Ironically, everyone in Oklahoma supports legalized sports betting in some form or another. However, there may need to be more discussion over how it is monopolized.
Tribal exclusivity in Oklahoma means that each of the 39 tribes must “sign off” on any legislation that incorporates gaming on non-tribal grounds. The governor’s office must have a conversation and work together on this.
HB 1027 remains property of the Senate Rules Committee. And despite failing, the bill is still eligible to be debated in the Senate during the following session. According to Luttrell, that will provide more time for discussions and negotiations.
Given the inconsistent support it appears to have, the bill may succeed in receiving the necessary votes, though not until 2023. Before anything even remotely resembling legalization occurs in Oklahoma, at least another year will pass.
Bookmakers Review will continue to follow the developments tied to the legalization of sports betting in Oklahoma.
Calculators
