In Oklahoma City, over 2,000 tribal leaders met with representatives from the world’s largest gambling companies to discuss sports betting. Oklahoma is one of just twelve states that does not allow any kind of legal sports wagering. Panelists asserted that with college and NFL football season approaching, illegal bets will be made across the state of Oklahoma, but if sports betting were legal, those bets would generate valuable tax dollars for the state and tribes.
FanDuel Senior Vice President Jonathan Edson said: “Ultimately, it’s going to take a willing state government and a willing set of tribes to make it happen. Our estimates put it at half a billion dollars’ worth of gross gaming revenue here once you start to get to maturity.”
According to News9, Oklahoma leaders point to neighboring state Texas an example—and motivator—for why it’s important to legalize sports betting sooner rather than later. Texas, like Oklahoma, does not allow legal sports betting, and thus Oklahoma leaders hope to beat Texas to the sports betting punch.
half a billion dollars’ worth of gross gaming revenue here once you start to get to maturity”
Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Chairman Matthew Morgan said: “There’s been some powerful people that are dead set against it so hopes are rather low so if legislation doesn’t go through in 2025 again that’s a great opportunity for Oklahoma to jump on this. We have a lot of models, a lot of lessons learned that we can take advantage of.”
Morgan went on to say: “Our tribal leaders have been waiting to have that conversation. We haven’t had it yet. We’ve had some conversation around the topic, but nothing that comes in the form of a government-to-government consultation across the table from each other. I think that’s what we’re waiting on.”
