Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt did not specifically mention sports betting during his final State of the State address Monday, but he did take aim at tribal sovereignty, which has been the main sore point in legalisation discussions.
Oklahoma’s legislative session kicked off Monday. Stitt, who in 2026 closes out his second and final term in office, said he has optimism heading into the session after calling for “equal rights for all”.
“Many of us in this room have decried the DEI programmes of the Biden administration yet stand quietly by when some say an Indian should be subject to a different set of laws,” Stitt said. “We either believe in equal rights for all or we don’t, and it’s time to choose.”
Oklahoma tribes have gambling exclusivity and, despite multiple legislative efforts, Stitt has vowed to veto any sports betting bill also granting exclusivity over that to the tribes. Tribes paid the state $210 million in 2024 as part of their compact agreement for their existing exclusivity.
“Any breakdown in the gaming compacts would create major uncertainty for both the casino industry in Oklahoma, a major economic driver for both the tribes and the state, leading to legal challenges, legal costs that threaten the operational stability of the casinos,” Rep Ken Luttrell, a key sports betting sponsor, said in a study committee meeting last fall.
Another key sponsor, Senator Bill Coleman, told iGB Tuesday there has been progress between the tribes and Legislature on sports betting.
Oklahoma sports betting efforts
Lawmakers carried over three sports betting bills from last year. Luttrell’s HB 1047 and HB 1101 both passed the House and a Senate committee and sit in the Senate, which did not act on them before adjourning for the session.
The proposals were developed in concert with the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. Last year, OIGA Chairman Matthew Morgan said the language “is a great first step”. The legislation would allow the tribes to amend their compacts to include sports betting.
HB 1047 would create a sports betting framework. HB 1101 would act as a safety valve if Stitt were to veto HB 1047, as it would send the issue to voters. A similar tactic was used in 2003 to create the state lottery.
Coleman co-authored the bills with Luttrell. They also authored SB 585, which would grant an additional sports betting licence to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That bill passed the Senate. The Thunder advocated for lawmakers to include the franchise during the study committee last year.
“We’re still hoping there’s an agreement to be had somehow,” Coleman told NonDoc last week while referencing the governor. “If we do send something his way, we’ll probably do so with enough votes to overturn a veto, should he want to do that. But that’s if it goes that far.”
But some lawmakers seem to believe the gap between tribal leaders and Stitt is too wide for success this session.
“With the current relationship between tribal leaders and the executive branch, it would be very hard to see anything come to fruition this session,” House Appropriations and Budget Committee Chairman Trey Caldwell told NonDoc.
Stitt’s adversarial position
Stitt does want Oklahoma sports betting, but he wants commercial entities to be included.
He attempted to legalise sports betting through two tribal compacts in 2020. Other tribes in the state objected and the state’s courts rejected the compacts.
In 2023, he unveiled a sports betting plan proposing to open the state directly to commercial online operators. It would have allowed tribes to have in-person sportsbooks. He again pointed to that proposal last year as legislative talks heated up.
Stitt told media he was not disappointed in the legislature’s failure to approve sports betting last year and he believes tribes are willing to wait until he is out of office next year.