Oklahoma Tribes Comment on Florida Sports Betting

The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Chairman, Matthew Morgan, recently commented on the latest Florida sports betting developments. And his sentiments seem like a direct shot at Governor Kevin Stitt.

Here’s what Morgan said, via PlayTexas’ Phil West: “While this decision does not directly affect the potential for sports betting in Oklahoma, it should remind us all of what may be possible when governmental leaders sit across the table to work toward respectful, lawful, and solution-oriented agreements.”

Anyone who has followed the saga of sports betting in Oklahoma can spot the dig right away. The relationship between Stitt and tribes in The Sooner State is tenuous at best. And the governor’s most recent attempt to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma ultimately hasn’t helped matters.

Could The Florida Sports Betting Decision Serve as a Blueprint for Oklahoma?

A recent decision by the United States Supreme Court has paved the way for sports betting in Florida to continue without any issue. And because The Sunshine State legalized sports wagering through a gaming compact with the Seminole tribe, other states with similar setups or without gambling are being looked at as potential successors to Florida’s model.

That’s why Morgan was asked to comment about the latest development. Like he mentions, though, it isn’t clear whether it impacts the future of Oklahoma sports betting.

In Florida’s case, they don’t have many federally recognized tribes. So, negotiating an exclusive gaming compact with the Seminole tribe was both easy and met without much opposition.

Following that approach in The Sooner State won’t go as smoothly. They have 38 federally recognized tribes in the region. Negotiating a gaming compact between all of them is virtually impossible. And while the state could broker a deal with only a handful of tribes, that’s bound to draw the ire of others.

In fact, this latter scenario helps explain why Oklahoma tribes and Governor Kevin Stitt are at odds in the first place.

Why Relations Between Tribes and Governor Stitt Are So Rocky

The dense dynamic between Stitt and Oklahoma tribes is years in the making.

When the United States Supreme Court first overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act back in 2018. The Sooner State was among those that expressed interest in their newfound power to legalize sports betting at the local level. Stitt proceeded to try negotiating a gaming compact with a select number of tribes. This, of course, didn’t go well. It left plenty of tribes feeling jilted and as if Stitt was trying to hijack an industry over which they are currently granted exclusivity.

Over the years, optimists have hoped the two sides would be able to find common ground. Various reports about a willingness to compromise have come out during this time. And yet, nothing has come of them. To our knowledge, Stitt and Oklahoma tribes haven’t engaged in any meaningful discussions.

Not only that, but it seems like the relationship may have worsened over the past year or so. Stitt’s latest attempt to pursue sports wagering once again lacked a certain collaboration with the tribes at large.

On top of that, he came up with a plan that would allow online sportsbooks in the United States to enter the market. While mobile betting sites in Oklahoma doesn’t seem like it’s necessarily viewed as a deal-breaker by tribes, the lack of collaboration from Stitt and his office certainly appears to be fomenting additional tensions.

Is There Any Hope for Oklahoma Sports Betting in the Near Future?

If legal sports betting comes to Oklahoma in the near future, it will most likely have little to do with the recent happenings in Florida.

At most, we could see Oklahoma retail sportsbooks arguing that their on-site sports betting apps can be used off-property. After all, that’s perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Florida sports betting ruling. The Seminoles have allowed users to place wagers on their Florida sports betting app from anywhere in the state. That's true even though their gaming compact stipulates transactions must be limited to tribal property. The Seminoles have argued the servers operating their Florida sports betting site are an extension of tribal property. The basis: The servers that run it are located on tribal grounds.

This logic held up in the Florida Supreme Court. And while the United States Supreme Court didn’t technically rule on it, their decision not to take on the lawsuit filed against the gaming compact speaks volumes. So, if The Sooner State legalizes retail sports betting only and casinos launch their own Oklahoma sports betting apps, this could be a precedent that becomes relevant.

Still, the state must actually legalize sports wagering first. And it remains unclear when that’ll happen. There is clearly interest. And not just from Governor Stitt. The tribes are on board with talking about. But all these years later, it continues to sound as if they’re not on the same page. Heck, we can’t even be sure they’re reading the same book.

The good news? Officials on both sides of the equation have the better part of a year to figure out. The not-so-good news? It appears as if little headway has been made. And until that changes, the path to sports betting in The Sooner State may be long one rife with twists and turns.

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