Oklahoma failed again to get in the win column for sports betting and Gov. Kevin Stitt was not happy to see his plan go down to defeat.
Like other failed efforts in other states, too many hands in the stew killed the recipe. That plus miscommunication.
Stitt’s plan called for retail wagering at tribal casinos and other gaming establishments statewide. In addition, the Oklahoma Lottery Commission (OLC) would oversee online betting. The retail tax would be set at 15 percent while the mobile bets carried a 20 percent tax. Annual licenses would cost $100,000.
The concept dates back to 2023, and from the get-go it lacked support from the tribal community.
An alternative, Senate Bill 1434, could not get by the third reading deadline. The legislation, from Senator Casey Murdock, permitted Oklahoma tribes to offer sports betting through the OLC, via the authorization of “sports pools retailers” that are awarded licenses.
The initial licenses would cost $500,000, with annual renewals at $100,000. Retail wagering would see operators taxed at a 15 percent rate with online at 20 percent. The revenue generated would be allocated toward problem gambling initiatives.
“I’ve studied what other states have done, and there’s 35 other states that have a sports betting system, and so we can see exactly how that’s set up,” Stitt told News 9. “Let’s just get this across the finish line. Maybe we’ll come in and work on that next year, but I certainly want us to get something across the finish line that’s fair for Oklahomans.”
Tribal opposition to Stitt’s plan centers on a feeling they have to compete with commercial sportsbooks, which goes against the concept of exclusivity tribes expected as spelled out in a 2020 compact. Turns out, Stitt believed the compact expired. Tribes went to court to prove him wrong.
“The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association was not consulted prior to Governor Stitt releasing his sports betting plan,” said the non-profit organization last November. “The members of the OIGA have been preparing to receive an offer from the state on sports betting for the past couple of years, and while we appreciate the governor finally joining the sports betting conversation, to date he has not engaged in meaningful and respectful government-to-government discussion with tribes.”
