Oklahoma

While the interest in sports betting and the effort to get a bill passed have certainly been present in Oklahoma, the Sooner State has not been able to get over the hump. Increased efforts to get a bill passed are expected in 2025, but disagreements between the state and the local gaming tribes remain at the forefront of issues.

While they aren’t necessarily regulated, daily fantasy sports apps can operate legally in Oklahoma, giving residents something close to sports betting. Available DFS apps in the state include PrizePicks, Sleeper, Underdog, and more.

One of the biggest gambling-related markets that is legal in the Sooner State is horse racing. There are three horse racing tracks in OK, all offering simulcast betting.

Online sports betting in The Sooner State

Oklahoma’s pursuit of legalized sports betting has been a rollercoaster ride currently broken down on the tracks. Governor Kevin Stitt has been at the forefront of this effort, but he’s been subject to multiple lawsuits. In 2019, Stitt disagreed with the state’s gaming tribes about their gaming compacts and whether or not they would automatically renew.

As a result, 12 tribes that thought their contracts would be renewed filed a federal lawsuit. Stitt eventually attempted to negotiate new compacts with a few gaming tribes and even said that sports betting could be a part of those compacts. However, the tribes would turn this proposal down.

The following year, in 2020, Stitt agreed on gaming compacts with the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and Comanche Nation, allowing sports betting to be legal on tribal land. Oklahoma residents did not have much time to rejoice, though, as the state’s Attorney General explained why Stitt could not make this deal, and as a result, Stitt was sued again, this time by the House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tempore.

It turns out that Stitt could only allow tribes to offer gambling-related games that are featured in Oklahoma’s Tribal Gaming Act. Stitt would not slow down his pursuit of sports betting in 2023 either, as he developed a new sports betting plan, allowing tribal casinos to offer retail sportsbooks but have no involvement in mobile betting, which again did not go over well.

Sen. Casey Murdock introduced a new sports betting bill, SB 1434, in 2024. The bill would essentially implement Gov. Kevin Stitt’s plan from November. As of now, the bill has been sent to the state’s Appropriation Committee.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in OK

Some states still waiting on legalized sports betting continually see no effort from the state government to get a bill passed, but that is not the case in Oklahoma. Just in 2023 alone, there was a consistent effort to get a bill passed, but there is always at least one obstacle standing in the way, if not more.

At the start of 2023, Rep. Ken Luttrell introduced House Bill HB1027 to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma. This was Luttrell's second attempt after a previous bill in February 2022 didn't progress. The House Committee on Appropriations and Budget quickly approved House Bill 1027, which advanced it to the next step. The House of Representatives then voted in favor of House Bill 1027 with 66 votes for and 26 against.

The bill went to the Senate but failed to pass the Senate Committee, so it became another sports betting bill that fell by the wayside. Not only do residents have to watch as bills continue to come and go, with each one varying the rules regarding the gaming tribe's involvement in sports betting, but they can’t even access other gambling markets like iGaming, as that remains illegal in the state.

How Watermelon Rolling Races Could Spark Oklahoma’s First Novelty Betting Market

Every year, the Rush Springs Watermelon Festival draws big attendance from people eager to witness one of Oklahoma’s strangest competitions, the watermelon rolling races. With the sheer popularity of this contest, it could become an interesting niche betting market for the state if a sports betting bill was ever passed. 

With variables like size, shape, and weight, betting on watermelon races could work like a slightly different version of horse racing. Bettors could handicap the event by analyzing past winners, predicting which melons have the best aerodynamics for rolling, and even focusing on head-to-head melon matchups.

While traditional sports have always dominated betting markets, Oklahoma's watermelon rolling could potentially become a novelty bet that combines local culture with gambling entertainment, which could be a solid way to kick off legal sports betting in the state whenever a bill gets over the finish line.

Most recent updates from the OK sports betting scene

• March 25, 2025: Oklahoma's top gaming tribes are now backing legal sports betting, supporting updated bills that promise economic benefits without disrupting current gaming rules. Their support could finally advance stalled efforts to legalize mobile and retail sportsbooks in the state.

• February 25, 2025: After putting an end to a five-game losing streak, the Oklahoma Sooners are (+105) to reach the NCAA Tournament.

• February 4, 2025: With college baseball season around the corner, the Oklahoma State Cowboys are (+330) to make the College World Series and (+3000) to win.

• January 23, 2025: Entering the end of January, the Oklahoma Sooners are (-210) to make the NCAA Tournament on FanDuel.

• January 6, 2025: After suffering a loss to Alabama, the Oklahoma Sooners basketball team is (+7500) to win the SEC Regular Season Title.

• December 16, 2024: The OKC Thunder are currently listed as (-4.5) point favorites over the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup Finals.

• December 11, 2024: Oklahoma has been matched up with Navy for their bowl game, and the Sooners are listed as (-9.5) point favorites.

• December 4, 2024: In what was a shocking and disappointing season, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have ended their 18-year streak of making a bowl game.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

One could argue that Oklahoma could have one of the country's better retail sports betting scenes if they legalized sports betting. No state has more tribal casinos than OK, with 143 currently in operation. If the state could reach an agreement with the tribes operating these casinos, the retail betting possibilities would be limitless.

Of course, not all of these locations would have a sportsbook, but that would still leave plenty of locations where retail sports wagering could be offered, whether run by an online operator partnership or by the casino itself.

Oklahoma’s Hidden Betting Scene: How Informal and Underground Wagering Exists

With no legal online sports betting in Oklahoma, many residents have turned to unregulated and potentially harmful wagering options. Private bookies and offshore sportsbooks have become popular alternatives, filling the gap left by the state’s restrictive gambling laws.

Sports betting pools, often organized among friends or work colleagues, allow bettors to wager on major events like college football, the NFL, and March Madness. Some operate as friendly competitions, while others function as unregulated betting circles. Additionally, private bookies still operate in parts of the state, offering a more old-school but legally risky way to place bets.

Offshore sportsbooks, though easy to find and download online, exist in a legal gray area, leaving bettors at risk of potential fraud or unpaid winnings. Until Oklahoma legalizes state-regulated sports betting, underground markets will continue to pop up and thrive, potentially losing the state millions in tax revenue while exposing in-state bettors to unnecessary and potentially costly risks.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Oklahoma’s surrounding states are a mixed bag regarding whether or not sports betting is legal. Of the six states that border OK, three offer some form of legal sports betting, while the other three have also been unable to get a sports betting bill passed for some reason or another.

You can click on the states with legal sports betting below to learn more about what they offer or why the other three states remain unable to pass a bill.

What’s next for OK betting apps?

The divide between the state government and the local tribes has been the biggest obstacle to passing a betting bill. Despite multiple efforts in 2023 to get a bill agreed upon by both sides, that agreement never came, and it seems that heading into 2025, Gov. Kevin Stitt still cannot figure out a way to merge the two sides.

If a deal can ever get done, the state should have an influx of online operators chomping at the bit to join the market. With plenty of retail locations already in existence, the potential to partner with one would likely appeal to DraftKings, FanDuel, or any well-known operator.

Potential sports betting revenue impact on Oklahoma's economy

With sports betting still illegal in Oklahoma, we have no gambling-related data to review in our revenue tracker. However, the Sooner State certainly has a lot of earning potential. Since Oklahoma has well over 100 tribal casinos throughout the state, if the OK legislators could broker an agreement with the local tribes, their market would instantly be able to bring in significant money just from the volume of betting options alone.

One of the biggest problems with delaying the legalization of sports betting is that the state is losing money to neighboring states that offer it. Three of Oklahoma's surrounding states offer vast gambling markets, allowing those states to receive a large sum of tax income every month. For example, Colorado has made over $105 million in tax revenue since legalizing sports betting, around $30 million of it coming in the 2024 year alone. Thus, it's safe to assume some of that revenue has come from Oklahoma bettors who crossed the border to place wagers.

Oklahoma also has a larger population than its neighboring state, Kansas. In 2024, around $2.5 billion worth of real-money bets were placed in the state, resulting in over $215 million in sportsbook revenue and north of $13 million in tax income.

Another example is Connecticut, which, while not a neighboring state to Oklahoma, has a similar population. Once again, these figures should motivate all parties involved to work even harder towards closing a deal. Since October 2021, Connecticut has generated over $5.7 billion in betting handle, resulting in more than $62 million in tax revenue for the state.

The Economic Potential of Legal Chicken Poop Bingo in Oklahoma

If Oklahoma wants to maximize its betting market potential once sports betting is legalized, it may need to look beyond traditional sports. Consider Chicken Poop Bingo, which is a quirky staple at rural fairs. With crowds lining up to see nature determine the winner on a numbered grid, this novelty game already serves as an informal lottery. By formally legalizing and regulating it under a low-stakes, novelty betting classification, the state could tap into new, highly local sources of gambling revenue.

If just 0.05% of Oklahoma’s estimated $2 billion annual sports betting handle came from events like livestock-based lotteries, that’s $1 million in novelty wagers. At a 10% tax rate, which is average in most states with a sports betting bill, this would generate $100,000 annually from rural games alone. That’s money that could be reinvested in local infrastructure or fairground development.