OKC Thunder Pitch Solution To Sports Gambling Impasse In Oklahoma

During Oklahoma's first-ever interim study on sports betting, the Oklahoma City Thunder proposed a solution to address the state's inability to pass legalized sports betting. The idea is that the team or a tribal consortium can offer a retail and mobile sports betting license.

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Key Highlights
+ Licenses: OKC Thunder pitches idea to bring sports betting to Oklahoma. A plan that involves the team getting 0.25% of sports betting handle.
+ Attempts: Several attempts have been made to legalize sports gambling in Oklahoma. Two house bills passed the House earlier this year but died in the Senate.
+ New Governor: A new Governor will be elected in the summer of 2026. Current Governor Kevin Stitt said he would veto any sports gambling bill that gives exclusive rights to tribes.

Licensed Through The Team

OKC Thunder's Vice President of Corporate Sponsorships, Will Syring, pitched the idea to the study group last Thursday. It's an idea that is being used in other states, as Syring pointed out at the meeting. For example, in Arizona, teams are licensed to operate a sportsbook in and around their arenas.

Other states where pro sports teams have licences are Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

As part of this solution, Syring proposed that OKC take 0.25% of the betting handle. A cut that could net the team an extra $3 million based on the state's population and sports culture.

Oklahoma's Sports Betting Impasse

Oklahoma legislators have tried several times to get sports betting legalized in the Sooner State. Earlier this year, two bills, HB 1047 and HB 1101, passed the House but died in the Senate.

HB 1047 would have established a sports betting framework with exclusive rights going to tribes. HB 1101 would put sports betting on the ballot if Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed HB 1047.

Stitt has maintained that he would veto any bill that would give tribes exclusive sports betting rights in Oklahoma. That feeling likely comes from Stitt's attempt to legalize sports gambling back in 2020, which failed when some tribes disagreed.

Sports Gambling Must Go Through Tribes

The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) maintains that any system of legalized sports gambling must go through the tribes. According to Association Chair Matthew Morgan, the OIGA is willing to work with the Thunder on a solution.

If we can find a way forward and work with the Oklahoma City Thunder, that’s what we want to keep in mind as we move forward.

They’re a big part of the discussion and someone we want to ensure that we listen to their voice and their thoughts.

Matthew Morgan, Chair of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association

However, with Kevin Stitt in office, it's not likely that a solution involving the tribes can come to pass.

However, Stitt is term-limited. Primary elections will be held on June 16, 2026, where a new Governor will come to power. Perhaps then, a window towards legalized sports gambling can be opened for Oklahomans.