An Oklahoma online sports betting bill that puts the lottery in charge and would encroach on the gaming monopoly the state’s tribes have long enjoyed has taken the first step on a potential journey through the state house.
HB 1434, the “Oklahoma Lottery Education Act,” was filed last week, and on Feb. 6 was referred first to the House Rules Committee and then to the Appropriations Committee. The bill does not appear on this week’s Appropriations calendar.
It seems unlikely the bill, which would allow for in-person sports betting and mobile betting apps with the state lottery in charge, will gain much traction in a state where Indian Country and Gov. Kevin Stitt have long been at odds over the future of gambling. In 2020, Stitt tried to compact with only two of the state’s tribes, which led to an immediate backlash that included those two tribes being expelled from the state’s tribal association.
Oklahoma’s nearly 40 tribes operate more than 125 casinos across the state, making it by at least one measure the biggest tribal gaming state in the nation. California has more tribes but fewer casinos.