Subcommittee approves sports-betting measure and companion trigger referendum; author cites tribal talks and out-of-state revenue

Chairman Luttrell presented a subcommittee substitute of House Bill 1047 and told the Appropriation Budget Select Subcommittee the measure is the product of several years of work with tribes and OIGA; the subcommittee voted 5-0 to pass the substitute.

Luttrell said the bill had been simplified after interim discussions with tribal representatives and OIGA and described the measure as balancing interests of Oklahoma citizens and tribes. He cited revenue examples from neighboring states, saying Kansas saw about $2.5 billion wagered on sports betting in 2024 and that the state’s revenue from that activity was $193 million; he said Arkansas had about $425 million in wagers and mentioned Missouri’s state share at about $365 million a year.

On operational choices for tribal operators, Luttrell said tribes would be free to choose whether to offer in-person only or both in-person and mobile betting. Representative Bennett asked whether the income figures cited represented the state portion; Luttrell confirmed those were the state shares derived from fees on sports betting. He also cited a survey figure from the Problem Gambling Association that found 61% of Oklahomans had gambled in the past year.

After discussion, the subcommittee voted 5-0 to pass the committee substitute for HB 1047. The panel then took up House Bill 1101, which the presenter described as a trigger bill that would send a question on sports betting to voters if HB 1047 fails or is vetoed; the subcommittee recorded a separate 5-0 vote to report HB 1101 as do pass.

Both bills were reported out of the subcommittee by unanimous voice vote and will move forward in the legislative process; no amendments or fiscal notes were discussed on the record during the meeting.