Tribal Feuds Continue to Haunt the Oklahoma Sports Betting Efforts

Peter Lewisby Peter Lewis
Updated: September 22, 2023
Tribal Feuds Continues to Haunt the Oklahoma Sports Betting Efforts

When will positive Oklahoma sports betting news be on the way for people to enjoy? No one knows. While there was some optimism that 2023 would finally be the year where things would get done, things continue to get stalled and there’s increased pressure on Governor Kevin Stitt to try and get things over the line. However, that’s an uphill climb for him, as the Tribal feuds continue to haunt the Oklahoma sports betting efforts.

There’s no question that the issues between Stitt and the tribes have been ongoing for a while now. It’s not just limited to sports betting, as there are many issues in the state that there’s a division on. Stitt has made it quite clear that he wants to get sports betting legalized, but he also wants to make it happen the right way. The Tribal leaders of course want sports betting too, but they want control of the project.

This is where there’s a disconnect with Stitt. He doesn’t just want to hand over the keys to sports betting to the tribes and let them do what they want. Over in Florida, we’ve seen Governor Ron DeSantis agree to the historic 30-year pact with The Seminole Tribe. While a U.S. District Judge shut betting down, Florida is inching close to getting things relaunched. This is something the Oklahoma tribes are paying close attention to.

With all of that said, the relationship between Stitt and all the tribes continues to be shaky. In order for legal sports betting to arrive, while Stitt is in office, then the two sides need to sit down in the same room and try to hash things out. At this point, though, people are worried that egos are getting in the way of them meeting in the middle. The longer this issue remains on the table, the longer people are going to have to wait for legal sports wagers to be allowed.

Oklahoma is missing out on a huge college football betting market

It goes without saying, but Oklahoma is missing out on a huge college football betting market. Since late August, college football bets have been massive all over the country. Matter of fact, NCAAF betting has been great all over the world. There are few things people love doing more in the late summer than checking the betting odds via the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, and putting money down on their favorite team.

In the state, the Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys are always going to have a lot of attention on them. These are two Big 12 powerhouses who always have plenty of NFL talent on their rosters. For the Sooners, they’re looking to record another huge year and people can’t wait to see what they’ll be able to do in the big-time matchups they have on their schedule. Fans would love to place legal bets on them, but that’s not an option.

The Cowboys are another popular team, with Mike Gundy hoping his guys will record a standout year too. The main issue for Oklahoma sports fans is that whenever it seems like there’s even a little bit of hope in sports betting moving forward, something gets in the way and hope is stalled. This time of year, the issues with the sports betting push is highlighted because of it being football season.

There are millions of dollars being lost each week this time of year and it’s bad news not only for Stitt and the tribes, but lawmakers and officials as well. Oklahoma needs to figure things out as soon as possible because there’s monster potential for high betting revenue. This would be a great source of income for the state, but nothing is going to come in until things at some point get finalized. It’ll be on Stitt and the tribes to try and meet somewhere in the middle.

When will Oklahoma sports betting finally get over the line?

The main question everyone has on their minds these days is when will Oklahoma sports betting finally get over the line? There was hope that 2023 would be the year, but we know by now that won’t be the case. There’s a lot of focus on 2024, but plenty of analysts think that a repeat of 2023 could be on the way, with things getting stalled due to the issues between Stitt and the tribes. This was the case in 2022 as well, which is rough to think about on so many different levels.

From our chair, it’s going to be tough for Oklahoma to get things pushed ahead with the current political landscape. Stitt and the tribes aren’t even close to improving their relationship. That disagreement is the main reason why nothing has been positive in terms of Oklahoma sports betting for a while now. Stitt wants sports betting to arrive for people in the state to take advantage of, but no one knows when that will go down. Possible 2025 if 2024 doesn’t work out, but you just never know here.

Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis Jr. comes from Mississippi where he and his family spend their days discussing college football, baseball and basketball. He's written sports journalism for years after studying journalism at a local university. Over time, Peter has cultivated extensive knowledge covering sports betting legislation across the country. He closely tracks the latest regulatory developments and provides key insights into their impacts. Peter also offers sharp MLB betting analysis, leveraging stats and trends to identify value on matchups.

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