A pair of bills meant to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma died in the state Senate this week without being put forward for a vote from the entire body.
The bills were one vote short of advancing to a full Senate vote. The House has shown bipartisan support for the issue, but getting enough senators on board has been a struggle for backers of the legislation.
Still Work To Be Done
The plans were at least approved out of a Senate committee, a first for sports betting issues so far. Sen. Bill Coleman, a key sports betting proponent, plans to continue working toward legalization and said there was more work to do in getting other legislators on board.
“I’ve been working on sports betting for years and truly believe Oklahoma is missing out on a significant opportunity — both economically and in terms of consumer protection. While I was initially skeptical, further research and conversations with industry leaders have shown me the significant safeguards in place to address issues like addictive behavior.
“Although the legislation did not move forward this session, the issue is far from dead. The biggest challenge I have noticed through this process has been a lack of communication — no one is sitting down and talking through this. That’s why I’m seriously considering hosting an interim study this summer to bring all stakeholders to the table. If we want a responsible and effective path forward on sports betting, we need to build it together.”
HB1047 would have legalized retail and online sports betting through the tribes through an updated compact with the state. Gov. Kevin Stitt has been a supporter of sports wagering, but threatened to veto that bill because it only included the tribes.
Another bill in the House, HB1101, would have allowed voters to decide on the issue. Both now appear dead with the legislative session coming to an end soon. Stitt favors a more competitive market and appeared frustrated with the process.
“None of those bills that have moved off the floors of the House or Senate have got my input on them,” Stitt said. “As a matter of fact, they’ve excluded the governor of the state of Oklahoma from these discussions. These are tribal-pushed bills that are only going to benefit the tribes and not the citizens of Oklahoma.”
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