Tulsa World reported that on February 13, the bill, known as House Bill 1027, was introduced by Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City. The legislation passed easily, as it was reviewed by a friendly committee, which Luttrell himself chaired.

Oklahoma’s Proposed Sports Betting Bill Faces a Long Road Ahead for Legalization

While the bill represents a step forward for the movement to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma, it still has a long way to go before it becomes law. House Bill 1027 still needs to be reviewed by the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee, the House floor, as well as multiple Senate committees, the Senate floor, and ultimately, the governor’s desk.

It was acknowledged by Rep. Luttrell that there was still a lot of work to be done before the bill could be finalized. He told the committee that what they were witnessing at the moment would not be the final version of the bill and that before being passed into law, several modifications would be made to the bill.

The proposed legislation would legalize in-person and online sports betting through Oklahoma’s tribal gaming compacts. Luttrell, who is a Cherokee citizen, previously introduced a similar bill in the last legislative session, but the bill did not progress beyond the committee stage.

If House Bill 1027 were to pass into law, it would be a significant development for the state’s gaming industry. While it still has a long way to go, the passage of the bill through the appropriations subcommittee is an encouraging sign for those who are hoping to see sports betting legalized in Oklahoma.

Proposed Oklahoma Sports Betting Legislation Aims to Improve State-Tribal Relations

One of the main goals of the proposed legislation is to restart discussions between state officials and tribal leaders. The relationship between the state government and the tribal governments has been strained in recent years, particularly since Governor Kevin Stitt took office in 2019. 

The governor’s attempt to overturn the tribes’ gaming compacts and negotiate new ones resulted in a falling out between the two groups which were accompanied by legal disputes over the compacts.

Luttrell expressed his hope that the passage of the bill would lead to better communication and dialogue between the two groups, and he stated that it had opened the lines of communication for dialogue with the tribes. He also mentioned that the legislation was part of a historic effort to restore the tribes’ trust in the Legislature. 

As long as it is sufficiently regulated, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has voiced his backing for the legalization of sports betting in the state.