Oklahoma sports betting has a new number attached to it: 68%. That was the estimate from Tom McDonald, a senior gaming executive for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, when asked at SBC Summit whether the state could legalize sports wagering next year.
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McDonald did not frame 2027 as a clean restart. He framed it more like another run at a bill that already came close.
“I thought we had a decent chance of passing it this year,” McDonald said. “It definitely helps.”
The “it” was the coming exit of Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has often clashed with Oklahoma tribal nations over gaming. Tribal operators want to keep sports betting inside the compact based gaming system already used across the state. Stitt has favored a wider commercial model.
McDonald spoke plainly about that fight.
“Gov. Stitt was actively trying to promote the tribes not having exclusivity,” McDonald said. “He wanted to sell licenses. He’s not a fan of tribes. He would like to see commercial gaming in the state of Oklahoma.”
That political issue mattered because Stitt could have remained a veto threat even if sports betting legislation had passed both chambers. Next year, that threat may look different after Oklahoma elects a new governor.
“There is no such thing as a Democratic Party basically in Oklahoma,” McDonald said. “In the Republican primary, I feel pretty good that everybody that’s running this year actually has a public service record that we can verify that they’re pro-tribe, tribes in general, and they’re supportive of tribal gaming in the state of Oklahoma.”
Oklahoma already has the gaming base for sports betting. The state has more tribal casinos per capita than any other U.S. state, and Indian Country gaming brings in more than $6 billion each year. That equals about 5% of Oklahoma gross domestic product.
Yet legal sports betting remains absent because the state has not settled control of the market. The main question stays the same: should tribes keep exclusive rights, or should Oklahoma sell licenses directly to commercial sportsbooks?
The 2026 proposal tried to thread that needle. It would have allowed statewide online betting and retail sportsbooks at tribal casinos. FanDuel and DraftKings supported the plan, along with many Oklahoma gaming tribes.
The model also differed from tribal betting markets in Michigan, Arizona and Connecticut. Instead of each tribe pairing off with one sportsbook brand, Oklahoma tribes would have partnered collectively with commercial operators. Any qualified sportsbook could have sought access through participating tribes.
That setup could have created a wide operator field while keeping tribes at the center of the market.
The bill failed in April when the Oklahoma Senate voted 21-27 against it. The House had already passed the measure, which gave supporters proof that the issue can still move through the legislature.
McDonald said turnover in the Senate created another hurdle. New lawmakers needed more time to understand the bill, the tribal framework and how online sports betting would operate.
That education work now becomes a key part of the 2027 effort. Supporters have the prior bill, national sportsbook interest, tribal backing and a possible governor change. They also have a market where sports betting remains illegal while neighboring states continue to take legal wagers.
Asked to put a number on the chance of legalization next year, McDonald gave a clear answer.
“I’d say 68% yes,” he said.