Oklahoma lawmakers entered the 2026 legislative session with three sports betting bills carried over from last year, but Governor Kevin Stitt made no direct reference to the issue in his final State of the State address on Monday, instead renewing his long-running critique of tribal sovereignty.

Stitt, who will complete his second and final term in 2026, opened the session by expressing optimism and calling for what he described as “equal rights for all.” In doing so, he again framed tribal governance as a civil rights issue, a position that has repeatedly complicated negotiations over legal sports betting in the state. “Many of us in this room have decried the DEI programs of the Biden administration yet stand quietly by when some say an Indian should be subject to a different set of laws,” Stitt said. “We either believe in equal rights for all or we don’t, and it’s time to choose.”

While the governor did not mention sports betting explicitly, the remarks underscored the central tension in the debate: Oklahoma tribes currently hold exclusive rights to gaming under state compacts, and Stitt has vowed to veto any sports betting bill that extends that exclusivity.

Bills carried over, but uncertainty remains

Lawmakers revived three sports betting proposals that stalled last year. Representative Ken Luttrell’s HB 1047 and HB 1101 both passed the House and a Senate committee in 2025 but were never taken up by the full Senate before adjournment. The measures remain eligible for consideration this session.

HB 1047 would establish a statewide sports betting framework through amendments to existing tribal gaming compacts, while HB 1101 is designed as a backstop, sending the question directly to voters via referendum if the governor vetoes the primary bill. Lawmakers used a similar approach in 2003 to establish the Oklahoma Lottery. Luttrell and Senator Bill Coleman also co-authored SB 585, which would grant an additional sports betting license to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That measure passed the Senate last year, reflecting the NBA franchise’s advocacy during an interim study committee.

The proposals were developed in consultation with the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA). Last year, OIGA Chairman Matthew Morgan described the bills as “a great first step” toward legalization. Despite that collaboration, tribal exclusivity remains a sticking point. Tribes paid the state approximately $210 million in 2024 under existing compacts, revenue that lawmakers and industry stakeholders have warned could be jeopardized by changes to the gaming framework.

“Any breakdown in the gaming compacts would create major uncertainty for both the casino industry in Oklahoma, a major economic driver for both the tribes and the state,” Luttrell said during a study committee meeting last fall, citing the risk of legal challenges and operational instability.

Coleman told industry outlet *iGB* this week that negotiations between lawmakers and tribes have made progress, though he acknowledged the governor’s position remains a major obstacle. “We’re still hoping there’s an agreement to be had somehow,” Coleman told *NonDoc* last week. He added that if legislation advances, supporters may attempt to secure enough votes to override a potential veto.

Other lawmakers are less confident. House Appropriations and Budget Committee Chairman Trey Caldwell said the strained relationship between tribal leaders and the executive branch makes success this year unlikely. “With the current relationship between tribal leaders and the executive branch, it would be very hard to see anything come to fruition this session,” Caldwell said.

Any breakdown in the gaming compacts would create major uncertainty for both the casino industry in Oklahoma.

Stitt’s push for commercial inclusion

Stitt has consistently said he supports legal sports betting, but only if commercial operators are allowed to participate alongside tribes. In 2020, he attempted to authorize sports betting through compacts with two tribes, a move that was challenged by other tribes and ultimately rejected by Oklahoma courts. In 2023, the governor proposed a new model that would open online sports betting to commercial operators while limiting tribes to retail sportsbooks. He reiterated that approach during last year’s legislative debates.

Stitt has since indicated he is not frustrated by lawmakers’ failure to pass sports betting legislation and has suggested tribes may prefer to wait until his term ends. As the session begins, the carried-over bills ensure sports betting remains on the agenda. However, the governor’s silence on the issue — coupled with his renewed criticism of tribal sovereignty — highlights the political and legal divide that has stalled legalization efforts for years.