Amended Oklahoma Sports Betting Bill Brings Together Tribes, OKC Thunder

• An approved 2025 Oklahoma sports betting bill has been resurrected and a deal could come as soon as this week
• Rep. Ken Luttrell (R-37) and Sen. Bill Coleman (R-10) announced support from key stakeholders for the bill
• HB 1047 will allow Oklahoma tribes to amend their gaming compacts to allow in-person and online sports betting on tribal lands only

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A 2025 House-approved Oklahoma sports betting bill has been resurrected and may be passed by the Senate as early as this week.

Rep. Ken Luttrell (R-37) and Sen. Bill Coleman (R-10) this week announced support from key stakeholders for the amended bill. The legislation,  HB 1047, will allow Oklahoma tribes to amend their gaming compacts to offer in-person and online sports betting on tribal lands only

The lawmakers report the legislation has support from the Oklahoma City Thunder, a supermajority of Oklahoma tribes members of the state’s Indian Gaming Association, and the state’s leading public universities.

Take Two on Sports Betting Bill

The House approved Luttrell’s sports betting bill in March 2025 by a 62-31 vote. While it did move through a Senate committee, it never received a vote on the Senate floor and died at the conclusion of the 2025 session.

However, the legislation was carried over to 2026 and now seems potentially poised for a breakthrough. The newly amended bill will likely receive a vote in the Senate as early as this week, Coleman reported, and would be sent back to the House for further discussion if approved.

“This is a big day for Oklahoma,” Coleman said in a released statement. “We’re closer than we’ve ever been to legalizing sports betting. This new legislation is the product of thousands of hours of negotiations over many years. This agreement respects our tribal partners and reflects collaboration and cooperation with our NBA franchise to create a legal, above-board system that can compete with the unregulated black market and legally questionable prediction markets. Oklahomans are already placing bets through other platforms or driving out of state to make legal wagers. It’s time for all of us to come together to get behind this proposal that protects consumers and keeps those dollars here in Oklahoma to benefit our state.”

The legislation allows tribal casinos to open in-person, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and allow for online sports betting on tribal land. The tribes could offer their own sports betting solutions or partner with an outside operator to allow for their own sports betting apps.

A FanDuel spokesperson reported the legislation could bring millions in revenue to Oklahoma.

“Oklahomans are already engaging in sports betting on unregulated offshore platforms—legalization would bring this activity into a safe, regulated market. This effort could generate $75 million to $100 million in revenue for the state over five years that does not exist today, helping to fund various priorities across Oklahoma communities. FanDuel welcomes the opportunity to partner with tribal nations to build a responsible framework and encourages lawmakers to move this effort forward,” said a FanDuel spokesperson.

Sports Betting Bill Details

According to the amended legislation, tribes offering sports betting would be required to provide 8% of their adjusted transactional total of sports betting earnings to the state through exclusivity fees.

The legislation earmarks sports betting revenues for education in Oklahoma. Any revenues derived from bets placed on the NBA or WNBA would be deposited into Oklahoma’s Strong Readers Fund to support early childhood literacy programs. Non-NBA or WNBA sports betting revenues would be divided between a fund support higher education, student development programs, workforce initiatives, and a tourism-focused fund leveraging the Thunder’s global reach.

Additionally, a monthly deposit of funds will be required to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, which will fund problem gambling treatment and education programs.

“This has been a long road in the making,” Luttrell said in a released statement. “We’ve spent years working through the details, listening to our tribal partners and working with stakeholders like the Oklahoma City Thunder to get this right. What we have now reflects that effort and gives Oklahoma a chance to finally bring this activity into a legal, regulated system. That means keeping those dollars here at home, strengthening our economy, protecting consumers and supporting critical services. We’ve done the work, and now we’re in a position to move forward with a plan that reflects years of input and careful consideration.”

Will Governor Veto?

While momentum is moving forward in the Senate and House, it remains to be seen if Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) will veto the legislation if approved. Gov. Stitt has made it no secret that he opposes any sports betting bill that does not allow for multiple operators to exist in Oklahoma.

The governor has not supported legislation that provides Oklahoma tribes with exclusive control over sports betting, instead favoring a “free market solution” for the state.

“None of the bills that have moved off the floors of the House or Senate have gotten my input on them. As a matter of fact, they’ve excluded the Governor of the state of Oklahoma from these discussions. When they say that all stakeholders have come to the table and agreed on something, the taxpayers that are represented by the Oklahoma Governor has not weighed in on those things,” Stitt previously said.

If vetoed by Gov. Stitt, the legislature could override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate.