Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has chosen to veto Senate Bill 1589, which looked to prohibit online casino-style games simulating slots, lottery or bingo and dual-currency sweepstakes platforms.
Stitt has yet to provide reasoning as to why he chose to veto the anti-sweepstakes legislation, which passed through the state Senate with an unanimous 48-0 vote in March, and the Oklahoma House of Representatives 65-21 in early May.
Under SB 1589, operators found to be offering or promoting unregulated gaming, including sweepstakes casinos, would be issued a Class C2 felony, as well as fines ranging from $500-2,000 and a jail term of up to 30 days.
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives have until May 29 to override Stitt’s veto and potentially legalize SB 1589 prior to the conclusion of Oklahoma's legislative session.
In sports betting news, the Oklahoma Senate voted to reject House Bill 1047 on April 23, which would have legalized retail and online sports wagering across the Sooner State.
Despite growing optimism from Senator Bill Coleman and Representative Ken Luttrell, the Senate voted 27-21 to reject HB 1047 and also shut down proposals to legalize sports wagering during May 2025.
Coleman’s proposal would have allowed Oklahoma Tribes to begin conducting retail betting operations, as well as permit a mobile betting framework in which operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings could partner with Tribes to gain market access.
The Oklahoma Senator, along with Luttrell, submitted an amended version of HB 1047 on April 21, which had previously gained support from the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA franchise and a “supermajority” of Tribes enrolled with the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.
Harrah’s Oklahoma hosted its official grand opening ceremony on April 9, featuring a ribbon-cutting celebration with leadership from the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and Caesars Entertainment
