Oklahoma lawmakers have announced they are “closer than ever” to legalizing sports betting. The state remains one of the few in the US not to offer either in-person or online wagering.
Sen. Bill Coleman and Rep. Ken Luttrell announced that they have reached an agreement with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the state’s tribes to push forward with legislation that has been on hold for a year.
“This is a big day for Oklahoma,” Coleman said in a press release. “We’re closer than we’ve ever been to legalizing sports betting.”
Coleman and Luttrell have revised HB1047, which the House approved in a 62-31 vote in March 2025. However, the legislation stalled in the Senate, and lawmakers expect Senators to vote on the bill in the coming week.
“This new legislation is the product of thousands of hours of negotiations over many years,” Coleman added. He has been working on legalizing sports betting since PASPA was repealed in 2018.
OKC Thunder & Tribes On Board
The proposed amendment to HB 1047 would legalize in-person and mobile sports wagering through the state’s tribes. The tribes would then partner with commercial operators, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, to launch online platforms.
Coleman and Luttrell said they worked on the terms of the bill in collaboration with the tribes, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder has been on board with plans for sports betting since last year.
The new amendment would see revenues gained from wagers on NBA and WNBA matches deposited into the Strong Readers Fund to support early childhood literacy programs.
Tribes would keep the majority of revenue, but give 8% of earnings back to the state.
“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,” said Coleman.
“This has been a long road in the making,” Luttrell added. “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.”
Oklahomans Already Betting on Sports
“Oklahomans are already placing bets through other platforms or driving out of state to make legal wagers,” said Coleman. “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.”
Nearby Missouri launched its sports betting market last year, while Wisconsin passed legislation last month to allow online wagering.
Oklahoma is now one of only 11 states without legal sports betting, but the rise of prediction markets has effectively allowed residents to gamble on sports.
“What we have now reflects that effort and gives Oklahoma a chance to finally bring this activity into a legal, regulated system, said Luttrell. “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.”
Governor Could Veto Bill
The Senate will now likely vote on the revised bill, which will have to be approved again in the House due to its amendments.
If approved, it would be up to Governor Kevin Stitt to sign off on the legislation. However, there is no guarantee that the Governor will not veto the bill.
Stitt has previously been critical of a tribal exclusive framework for sports betting and has expressed general opposition to expanding gambling in the state.
“It’s horrible,” he Stitt in an interview last fall. “If I had my way, I wouldn’t have gambling at all. It’s a travesty.”
On the latest push to legalize sports betting, a spokesperson for the Governor stated, “Governor Stitt has been clear that he will only support a free market approach to sports betting in Oklahoma. No legislation has reached his desk yet, so we won’t comment on specifics of pending legislation.”
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Oklahoma lawmakers have announced they are “closer than ever” to legalizing sports betting. The state remains one of the few in the US not to offer either in-person or online wagering. Sen. Bill Coleman and Rep. Ken Luttrell announced that they have reached an agreement with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the state’s tribes to
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