Oklahoma may not have the horses to cross the finish line yet, but the 59th legislature approved House Bill 1027 in the appropriations subcommittee, chaired by the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Ken Luttrell.
Oklahoma doesn’t have to skirt around a constitutional amendment but does have to deal with Governor Kevin Stitt.
To see the light of day, the bill needs to get by the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, the House floor, a Senate committee or two, the floor of the Senate, and before going to Stitt’s desk, have to start over if there are any changes.
“What we are seeing now will not be the final bill,” Luttrell told Tulsa World.
The bill, as written now, would authorize in-person and online sports gambling through Oklahoma’s tribal gaming compacts. Last year, a similar bill never got beyond a committee stage.
Luttrell looked to his bill to restart talks between state government and tribal leaders and Governor Stitt.
“One thing this has done is opened the lines of communication for dialogue with the tribes,” said Luttrell. “You all are part of a historic effort to restore our tribes’ trust in our Legislature.”
Stitt says he favors legalization of sports gambling as long as it is sufficiently regulated.
