Both Oklahoma and Minnesota aim to move forward with sports betting. (photo by Flickr)
This Friday, the
long-awaited launch of online sports betting in Massachusetts will finally take place. The Bay State might have some new company in the future as both Oklahoma and Minnesota have sports betting bills moving in the right direction.
Last week, Representative Zack Stephenson’s
House Bill 2000 was moved forward by the Minnesota House Commerce, Finance, and Policy Committee. HB 2000 would allow mobile sports betting in the state along with in-person sports wagering. If approved, tribal casinos would be allowed to team up with an online operator to obtain an online sports betting license along with opening a land-based sportsbook at the property. There are 11 tribes in Minnesota that would benefit from this legislation.
What’s next for the Minnesota bill? Well, now it will be put in front of the House Public Safety and Finance Committee for approval.
Oklahoma had a very similar bill gain some traction, but the clock is ticking for the Sooner State.
Oklahoma House Bill 1027, just like in Minnesota, would give tribes in the state the opportunity to open a sportsbook and allow them to partner with an online operator for an online sportsbook launch.
Representative Ken Luttrell’s bill was approved by a vote of 27-4 by the state’s House Committee on Appropriations and Budget, but the hard work is still to come. Now headed to the House floor, this bill needs to be approved before the 23 March deadline if Oklahomans want to see sports betting live sooner rather than later. With just over two weeks until that deadline, there will surely be more news about this bill’s status in the coming days and weeks.
This isn’t the first attempt that Luttrell has made for Oklahoma sports betting. Just last year, the Cherokee nation citizen introduced a similar bill but it did not survive. For sports betting enthusiasts, hopefully HB1027 sees more success.