Oklahoma Senate Narrowly Passes Sports Betting Bill

By Matt Speakman,
Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

Matt Speakman Betting Expert at online-gambling.com

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Last updated: April 7, 2025

The Oklahoma Senate passed Senate Bill 585, which aims to legalize retail and mobile sports betting in the state. This follows an initial failure in the bill’s advancement to the House and a motion for reconsideration submitted by its primary sponsor, Sen. Bill Coleman. The Sooner State is officially one step closer to legalizing sportsbooks.

More About Senate Bill 585

SB 585, submitted by Sen. Bill Coleman and Rep. Ken Luttrell, was first submitted to the Senate about a month ago, where it failed, having received 24 votes in favor as opposed to the 25 required votes to pass. This time around, the bill received the necessary number of votes and successfully advanced to the House.

One amendment was added to SB 585 before Sen. Coleman and Rep. Luttrell re-submitted it to the Senate for a second vote. This includes granting the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team the opportunity to obtain a license for a sportsbook partnership outside of tribal lands. Let’s review the bill’s key provisions.

SB 585 Key Provisions

In short, the proposed legislation looks to legalize retail and mobile sports betting offered by gambling establishments operated by Native American tribes across the state. The Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team could also partner with one popular sportsbook such as DraftKings or FanDuel. You can find more details below:

In addition to the provisions outlined in the table, the bill also looks to legalize the creation of event pools and internet event pools for sports betting activities. If signed into law, SB 585 will considerably expand the available Oklahoma gambling framework. This currently includes pari-mutuel wagering on horses and tribal casinos.

Conclusion

As of this article, 39 US states (plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico) have legalized sports betting since the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018. Oklahoma has the potential to become the 40th state to do so.

Most recently, Missouri voters approved sports betting in narrow win in November 2024. The first sportsbooks are expected to go live in the state somewhere in 2025, but an official launch date has not been announced. That said, regulators and lawmakers would face a significant challenge – keeping gamblers safe and assuring a responsible gambling environment for them.