Oklahoma Online Sports Betting
The status of Oklahoma sports betting remains unclear as the governor and attorney general remain on opposite sides of the issue.
Offshore Online Sports Betting. Sports bettors in Oklahoma have turned to offshore gambling sites to bypass their state’s strict ban on the practice. This is not illegal, as there is no provision against it in the law. Offshore sports betting in Oklahoma is basically online sports betting. Nov 03, 2020 A bipartisan group of state lawmakers, along with Oklahoma's attorney general, have expressed opposition to the expansion of sports betting in Oklahoma and the prospect of legalized sports.
Gov. Kevin Stitt approved OK sports betting on tribal land when he renegotiated two tribal gaming compacts. The compacts, signed with the Comanche Nation and Otoe-Missouria Tribe, permitted betting on all but in-state college teams and in-state college events.
The compacts specifically stipulate two retail locations for each tribe at their tribal casinos. Mobile is allowed as long as it is geofenced to the property.
The compacts further say the state could authorize up to five non-tribal retail Oklahoma sports betting locations in the future.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter quickly disagreed with the governor’s actions the same day the compacts were announced. He later published a formal opinion outlining why Stitt lacks the authority to offer sports betting.
The governor is only allowed to authorize tribes to operate games that are listed in the state’s Tribal Gaming Act. Sports betting, or event betting as it’s called in the compacts, is not listed in the Act.
The future of Oklahoma sports betting
Online Sports Betting For Us Players
At this point, it’s tough to say what will happen with Oklahoma sports betting. Gov. Stitt hedged his stance on sports betting in Oklahoma with specific text in each compact:
“For the avoidance of doubt, even if it should be found that the State’s conduct of Event Wagering is in violation of the State’s obligations, if any, under compacts with other Oklahoma tribes, such a finding shall have no effect on the Tribe’s right to engage in Event Wagering.”
That makes it pretty clear that Stitt doesn’t seem to think the state has any say in those tribal operations.
The compacts have not yet been approved by the federal Department of the Interior.
Oklahoma Online Sports Betting Mobile
When will online Oklahoma sports betting launch?
If the two approved tribes move forward with their compact as negotiated, the answer could be fairly soon, though it comes with a significant catch.
The use of mobile devices will be limited to when bettors are actually on the tribal property. That means as soon as the bettor leaves the casino, they won’t be able to utilize that mobile betting app anymore.
Tribes could always push for more in future compact negotiations to allow for an open statewide mobile market.