The list of sports betting states is continually growing, and one of the leitmotifs of legalization has been whether neighboring states are there already. Oklahoma might soon become the next domino piece to fall.
2023 Holds Sports Betting Potential
According to a FOX23 News report, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said that his administration is actively looking into sports betting and what it could look like in the state. While there are some complications, the focus is on keeping the related sports betting tax revenue within the state and funding economic development and education.
Governor Stitt has been a vocal advocate for sports betting in the state. This latest report by FOX23 News clearly shows he is still trying to achieve that goal. The latest push is for legalizing sports betting within the state and doing it in a transparent way, while also assuring that Oklahomans’ interests are a top priority for any potential implementation.
According to the report, this would require the state’s Native Tribes to come back to the negotiation table, and draft new compacts as well. The question of internal industry controls and legislation is also open, so there’s a lot of work to be done before any real possible deadlines are talked about. Governor Stitt was optimistic about 2023, though.
Road to Sports Betting Has Few Snags
Oklahoma’s tribes have been uncharacteristically politized lately, showing their support to Governor Stitt’s opposition. The disagreement over what the gaming compacts mean, how they renew, and the exclusivity initially provided, are not new. A series of seemingly small conflicts and offhand insults built over time to the point where tribes wanted governor Stitt gone.
However, Stitt is currently serving as the state’s 28th governor, and wants to make Oklahoma a “top ten state”. One potential avenue to reaching that goal is making sure that all the state’s potential stays within its own boundaries. This includes sports gambling tax revenue, of course, and governor Stitt has openly drawn attention to neighboring Kansas.
SB 84 was ceremoniously signed in June this year, after being passed into law earlier in May. It enabled Kansans to place their sports bets through the state’s casino infrastructure, and many Oklahomans have been less than hesitant to make the drive and take advantage of what the Sunflower State has to offer. This might change very soon, though.
If governor Stitt’s hopes and plans come to fruition, Oklahoma might also join the growing list of states that offer sports betting. That is if the disagreements with local Tribes are ironed out, of course. This was rather surprising for some, as Stitt himself is Cherokee, but it seems when these types of interests are at stake, this doesn’t mean much.