Oklahoma is home to a healthy gambling industry complete with Indian casinos, three horse racing tracks and a limited number of legal betting sites. The state does not yet have online poker or casino games but it does permit online horse racing, fantasy sports and games of skill to be played for real money. In terms of sports betting, a bill was introduced to allow the Oklahoma governor to expand the tribal-state compact and include “sports pools.” The expansion would have consisted of “wagering on the outcome of one or more competitive games in which athletes participate, or on one or more performances of such athletes in such games where all bets are placed in a common pool or pot from which all player winnings, prizes and direct costs are paid.” The Oklahoma’s legislative session ended with no action being taken on its bill. As it stands now, there are no plans to expand online betting in the near future.

Gambling Laws in Oklahoma

Currently, Oklahoma has very few options for legal, licensed and secure online betting. Land-based gambling is legalized in Oklahoma is hosted on tribal lands under compacts between the state and 33 tribes. The law allows tribes to offer all major forms of gambling in Oklahoma apart from sports betting. Charitable gaming in Oklahoma was legalized by the Oklahoma Charity Games Act of 1992, after citizens approved a statewide ballot allowing gaming for charitable purposes. These include bingo, lotteries and raffle games. Online poker and gambling haven’t officially come to Oklahoma yet but it isn’t for a lack of effort as the US Department of Interior has stepped in and sought to prevent tribal deals for such games. Gambling outside of licensed casinos is heavily regulated. Oklahoma does not have an exemption for private games between friends, so a poker game under the table between you and your friends is, unfortunately, not permitted!

Most Popular Sports in Oklahoma

Oklahomans are not just sports fans – they’re sports fanatics. With a vigorous pride for their favorite teams, they are far from “fair-weather,” and their enthusiasm adds to the electricity of Oklahoma’s sporting events. Sports in Oklahoma have been celebrated since before statehood in 1907. Now with football, hockey, baseball and basketball teams all exuding excellence, sports in the Sooner State are more exciting than ever. Oklahoma is home to several professional sports teams. Along with professional teams in basketball, baseball and soccer, Oklahoma hosts a range of collegiate sports in soccer, basketball, baseball and ice hockey. These amateur clubs compete in well-known leagues like the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Pacific Coast League and the United Soccer League.

Minor League Baseball –Oklahoma City Dodgers

The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team was originally known as the Oklahoma City 89ers from 1962 to 1997. It first competed in the Triple-A American Association (AA) in 1962, moved to the PCL from 1963 to 1968, and returned to the AA from 1969 to 1997. Oklahoma City has won four league championships. The 89ers won the PCL championship in 1963 and 1965 as the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Colt. They later won the American Association championship in 1992 and 1996 with the Texas Rangers. They are well known for their recent victory. In 2017, the Dodgers recorded back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time in modern team history (since 1998) on June 9, 2017 against Round Rock in Oklahoma City.

National Collegiate Athletic Association –Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma (variously “Oklahoma” or “OU”). The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The program was founded in 1895 and is currently, one of the most successful programs since World War II with the most wins (606) and the highest winning percentage (.762) since 1945. The program claims 7 national championships (17 national championships recognized by the NCAA), 48 conference championships, 162 First Team All-Americans (80 consensus), and seven Heisman Trophy winners.

National Basketball Association – Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Thunder competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. The team won their first division title as the Thunder in the 2010–11 season and their first Western Conference championship as the Thunder in the 2011–12 seasons, appearing in the NBA Finals for the fourth time in franchise history and first since 1996, when the team was based in Seattle. They are known for having an unusually enthusiastic fan base of the loudest fans who clap, shout and cheer for each of their games. Thunder fans are also reportedly much more likely to attend major home games than most other NBA fan bases. The team and its fan base regularly use the slogan “Thunder Up!” which was also prominently displayed on T-shirts during the 2012 playoffs.

American Hockey League–Oklahoma City Barons

The Oklahoma City Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). Unfortunately, unlike their state counterparts, the ice hockey team did not do very well. After the team’s inaugural season in 2010–11, the Oklahoma City Barons finished in the bottom five in the league for average attendance, including a recorded worst in the league in 2012–13. On December 18, 2014, it was announced by the team’s sponsors and coaches that the Barons would cease operations after the current season, citing continued financial losses stemming from poor attendance as the main reason for discontinuation.

History of Sports Betting in Oklahoma

Up until 1916, all forms of gambling were illegal in Oklahoma. In 1983, for the first time, the state passed the horseracing act, which allowed for betting and wagering. A long time after that in 2004, tribal casinos were approved by the state and shortly a year after in 2005, the Oklahoma state lottery was approved and established. Oklahoma first stepped into the world of online sports betting in 2013 when Tribes were allowed to offer international online gambling but these games were not authorized to be played by in state residents. In 2014, the Tribal casinos earned a record of $4.2 billion in revenue. This led to the first real money poker site in Oklahoma’s history as the Iowa Tribe was permitted to launch international sports betting.

Legal Online Sports Betting Age in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is gambling ‘friendly’. US federal law makes sure they cannot offer sports betting, however they do offer multiple land based destinations for casino gambling. The state imposes a minimum gambling age requirement of 21 years of age. Please keep in mind that if you see any online sportsbook that accepts players as young as 18 years of age, this policy does not supersede or bypass state law that requires players to be 21 years of age.

• Sports Betting Age
  Legal gambling ages are set at a minimum of 21 years of age
• Alcohol Age
  The legal drinking age is 21 in Oklahoma.
• Weed Age
  The legal age for indulgence of Marijuana is with restrictions on possession and consumption.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal Outside of the State?

Since there are no provisions within Oklahoma state gambling laws or US federal sports betting laws that prohibit residents from betting on sports online through legally sanctioned offshore sportsbooks, we’d have to say that yes, online sports betting at offshore sportsbooks is a legal form of betting entertainment for individuals in the state. We do offer a word of caution regarding which sportsbooks you consider betting at. We recommend that you remain highly selective in your choices, restricting your betting action to only those destinations that are legitimately licensed and regulated through a respected governing jurisdiction. Take a look at what the neighboring states have in stock like with Texas Sports Betting.

Taxes on Your Winnings: Do You Have to Pay Anything?

Gambling winnings are generally subject to a flat 25% tax. In some cases, a backup withholding of 28% is required instead. Gambling winnings over $5,000 can be subject to income tax withholding.

Upcoming Regulation Changes in Oklahoma Betting Law

Upcoming regulations being proposed are stuck in a legal conflict between the state senators and the tribal members. Two different bills to legalize and regulate daily fantasy sports (DFS) have been introduced to the state legislature. But these bills, bill HB 2278 and SB 1396 never gained any traction due to serious challenges from tribal gaming interests. Recently, a coalition of tribal leaders was formed to combat both pieces of legislation and Cherokee Nation Chief Bill Jon Baker wrote a letter supporting the defeat of legal online sports betting. Baker also made it clear that the tribes would continue to contest any efforts to make this legal in the state. Taking it into account, it’s clear that Oklahoma tribes won’t go for any form of internet gaming unless they’re at the forefront. Oklahoma is also closely monitoring the development of online sports betting in New Jersey.

Sports Betting Guides for Nearby States

• Texas
• Kansas
• Arkansas
• Missouri