OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The OKC Thunder have entered the chat regarding legalizing sports betting in Oklahoma.
State senators in the Senate Business and Insurance Committee approved three sports betting bills in Oklahoma on Thursday, including one directly related to the NBA team.
“To me, this is the best bet I’ve seen,” said Chair of the Committee and Senate Bill 585 author Bill Coleman (R-Ponca City).
Sen. Coleman’s bill would allow the Thunder to obtain a gaming license in Oklahoma for sports betting. The team would then be able to allow in-person and mobile sports betting, so long as it’s not on tribal land. Tribes would still be in charge of sports betting on tribal land.
Sen. Coleman also told the Committee that the Thunder have agreed to meet with the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association next week.
“We did reach our accomplishment of forcing a meeting,” Sen. Coleman added.
Under Sen. Coleman’s bill, the state would receive 10% of the net proceeds from sports betting, which is estimated to be worth $20 million annually. The Thunder would receive 0.25%.
However, Sen. Coleman warned the committee that the details of his bill and other sports betting bills will likely change as they move to the Senate floor.
“What these (bills) are, are vehicles that are going to be used as negotiations occur,” Sen. Coleman said.
The OKC Thunder released a statement after the bill’s passage on Thursday:
The Thunder remains extremely supportive of legal statewide mobile and retail sports betting. We are pleased to be working with legislative leaders and others to develop the appropriate structure that is favorable to all involved.
Two other sports betting bills passed in Thursday’s committee meeting. One bill, SB 125, would simply allow the state and tribes to enter into a compact regarding sports betting.
Sen. Dave Rader (R-Tulsa), author of SB 125, mentioned the state’s loss of sports betting revenue to neighboring states like Kansas.
“I have constituent after constituent after constituent continuing to ask for this,” Sen. Rader said. “We know that we have constituents driving up Highway 75, driving up I-35 crossing the state line, placing bets then coming back in. This is causing money that could be coming to the state coffers to go to another state.”
Another bill, SB 164, was met with the most pushback. SB 164 would run the state’s sports betting ability through the Lottery Commission. That bill barely made it out of committee with a 6-5 vote.
Senate President Pro Tempore, Lonnie Paxton, said the sports betting bills still have a long way to go.
“There’s lots of different parties working together on those bills,” Sen. Paxton said. “I understand there’s several entities involved.”
Sen. Paxton said the bills are a “work in progress”.
