The Oklahoma Appropriations and Budget subcommittee voted unanimously to advance HB 1027 to the House floor. This bill would authorize local tribes to offer retail and online sports betting in Oklahoma. The House of Representatives will now debate the measure. If it is successful here, the state Senate will get a chance to review and vote on the measure.
Oklahoma Bill Advances
The tribal sports betting bill was presented by Rep. Ken Luttrell. Sports wagering would be accessible at tribal casinos and local racetracks. Online operators would be permitted to partner with tribes and offer odds statewide.
While the advancement of the bill to the main floor does show progression, this is not guaranteed to pass in the House. This is the earliest victory the bill can have. However, the unanimous 5-0 vote is a good indication that the measure is promising.
Should the bill pass in the House, the real challenge would come with the bill in the Senate. Oklahoma has failed in the past to see sports betting legislation be successful. There are still many aspects that need to go in a positive direction before locals would see a betting market. The advancement to the House is just an important first step.
How Super Bowl Betting Could Factor In The Decision
What could help edge lawmakers towards passing the bill in the legislative chambers is the success of Super Bowl 57 betting. The U.S. market saw a record-setting 100 million transactions during Super Bowl weekend. It is very likely that lawmakers in Oklahoma are taking note of the success in other markets.
Ohio sportsbooks went live at the start of 2023 and managed to see more than 12.6 million transactions over the weekend. The Sooner State could have seen similar success if they managed to have sports betting live in time.
This could be a motivator for the bill’s potential success in the House and subsequent Senate. Oklahoma sports betting could become a reality in the near future.
