Oklahoma Sports Betting Market Impeded as Court Rules For Tribal Gaming Expansion

Six years ago, the US Supreme Court struck down the federal wagering ban, allowing states to open legal wagering markets. Since then, 38 states including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico have some form of legal sports betting. One of the states that is still without legal online sports betting is Oklahoma. Recent court rulings have opened up the potential for more Native American gaming expansion. However, the nation’s largest per-capita tribal gaming market is still without legal online sports betting.

That’s because the state’s gaming tribes have not been able to reach a deal with Governor Kevin Stitt on a regulated betting infrastructure. Few tribes are willing to sacrifice the current tribal-state status quo for what they feel is a counterproductive regulatory structure. Court victories by the Florida Seminole Tribe have potentially given Oklahoma tribes a pathway for new tribal gaming expansion. Despite the desire by tribes to expand, they still need to agree with the governor before anything can move forward. That’s one major hurdle that Oklahoma is still trying to figure out. The Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission chairman John Sparks had this to say earlier this month.

“Our governor has just been overtly hostile and antagonistic toward the tribes to the point where he’s signing illegal compacts with various other tribes,” said Sparks. “To say it’s been ‘tense’ is very gracious.”

What is Oklahoma’s current situation in the sports betting market?

Oklahoma is the base for many of America’s largest Indian tribes. The state has seen more than 30 tribes open over 60 casinos. That includes the WinStar World Casino and Resort, the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere. Native American stakeholders are interested in pursuing different goals when it comes to tribes and gaming revenue. This indifference has led to a major delay in the legalization of sports betting implementation. Governor Kevin Stitt has a different view on the matter. He tried signing a deal in 2021 with two smaller casinos in Oklahoma. However, that was quickly opposed by much of Oklahoma’s Native gaming establishment and members of his party. That deal never came to fruition. A deal still needs to be made between tribes that want retail-only sportsbooks and those that are ready to shift to online wagering. Until then, Oklahoma will be without a legal online sports betting market.