The Oklahoma House has advanced House Bill 1027 to the Senate, which would allow tribes to offer sports betting in the state. The bill would enable tribes to offer in-person or online sports betting, or both, and they would pay the state 4-6% of their revenue, with 12% assigned to the general revenue fund and the remaining 88% earmarked for the Education Reform Revolving Fund. The bill’s author, state Rep. Ken Luttrell, said the state could add an estimated $9 million a year to the state budget from revenue earned from sports betting. However, there is no consensus among the 35 tribes that operate gaming in Oklahoma, and every tribal nation has unique factors to consider, such as costs, geography, and competition.

Two bills to expand gambling in Texas were debated at a House committee hearing, with supporters emphasizing the economic benefits and opponents stressing the potential harm to families. House Bill 1942 would permit regulated sports betting, while House Bill 2843 would allow casino gambling. Proponents argued that illegal gambling was already prevalent in Texas and that regulated gambling would protect consumers and generate tax revenue. Critics claimed that gambling would be harmful to vulnerable Texans and their families. Jonathan Covey of Texas Values cited consistent evidence of a link between gambling and problems like family violence, while Cindi Castilla of Texas Eagle Forum argued that gambling profits off the losses of average people. Despite these objections, supporters of the bills included professional sports franchises, betting […]