Randy Krehbiel
Tulsa World Staff Writer
The head of the state’s tribal gaming organization and a lawmaker advocating legalized sports betting in Oklahoma indicated surprise and something like puzzlement Friday at a sports gambling proposal issued late Thursday by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
“The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association was not consulted prior to Gov. Stitt releasing his sport betting plan,” Matthew Morgan, chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, said in a written statement. “The members of the OIGA have been preparing to receive an offer from the state on sports betting for the past couple of years, and while we appreciate Gov. Stitt finally joining the sports betting conversation, to date he has not engaged in meaningful and respectful government-to-government discussion with tribes.”
Since becoming governor in 2019, Stitt has sought to renegotiate the state’s long-standing tribal gaming compacts, at times using sports betting as leverage. So far, most tribes have shown only moderate interest in sports gambling.
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Stitt’s latest proposal would allow tribes to take sports bets at their casinos but would open mobile device betting to anyone willing to pay $500,000 up front and $100,000 a year, plus 20% of gross revenue, to the state.
Some say this might violate the exclusivity terms of the current compacts and relieve the tribal casinos of their obligation to pay roughly $190 million a year to the state.
Any agreement likely would require legislative, tribal and federal approval.
“We remain hopeful that he is committed to moving forward in a productive manner in accord with established law and process, which would include working with the Oklahoma Legislature to offer a compact supplement to tribes within the State-Tribal Gaming Act construct that protects the tribes’ substantial gaming exclusivity,” Morgan said. “To approach it otherwise is simply to invite failure.”
State Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, Senate author of active sports betting legislation, said Stitt “has never reached out to share his support of the idea or to offer any other input. … It’s frustrating that he didn’t feel it necessary to collaborate with those of us who have been diligently working on this major issue for over a year now, but I’m hopeful that will change in the coming weeks.”
Coleman and Rep. Ken Luttrell, also R-Ponca City, are sponsors of House Bill 1027, which Luttrell described earlier this year as an attempt to restart discussions between the tribes and Stitt.
Stitt has signed new gaming compacts with a handful of smaller tribes, but those were overturned by the courts.
“A lack of coordination between the executive branch and tribal leadership was the main reason our bill stalled,” Coleman said. “When dealing with the tribes, compacting, and the many nuances with exclusivity and future gaming negotiations, it’s imperative that Gov. Stitt work in good faith with our tribal partners.
“I’m not sure he’ll garner much support given that his plan, among other things, asks the tribes to give up their online share of sports gaming, which nationally accounts for 95% of total revenues.”
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The simplest answer: maybe. But it's a complicated issue.
