Oklahoma Legal Online Sports Betting, Laws And More

OklahomaOklahoma is currently in the process of legalizing sports betting after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled PASPA, the federal law prohibiting states from passing sports betting legislation, unconstitutional. Several bills introduced over the past couple years allowing tribal casinos in the state to open sportsbooks have not passed due to PASPA, but that changed following the repeal in May 2018.

The sports betting bill introduced would allow Oklahoma’s governor to approve wagering on sports and expand rules in the current agreement between the state and the 130 tribal casinos currently in the state. In the expansion, the bill would have allowed "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." However, no action was taken on the bill during the most recent Oklahoma legislative session, and the bill is expected to be looked at again during the next session.

When it comes to placing a wager on sports online in Oklahoma, the state does not have any laws prohibiting sports betting at legally licensed, offshore online sportsbooks. Our team has reviewed each one of the online sportsbooks below and can ensure each one is 100% legal, safe, and guarantee payouts on all bets won.

Best Sports Betting Site
For Oklahoma Residents

Top Rated USA SiteBetOnline Sportsbook is our number one recommendation for Oklahoma sports betting fans, including those seeking options for betting on Super Bowl 53. They welcome players from the US, and are a respected, trusted and legally licensed and regulated destination. They were established in 1991 and are regulated by the government of Panama. One reason we hold them in high regard is due to the excellent quality of their services and betting environment. They offer a wide range of competitive betting lines and odds, with a strong selection of wagering options as well. Their bonus offer is for new customers and return customers, and delivers a 25% match bonus on every single deposit you make into your account.

50% Bonus Up To $1,000 For New Oklahoma Players

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Long time experience in the industry - established in 1991

They are regulated by the government in Panama City, Panama

USA Online Sportsbooks Accepting Oklahoma Residents In 2019

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Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Oklahoma?

LegalitiesTo put this as simply as possible, there is nothing illegal about Oklahoma residents betting at an offshore sportsbook. The USA sports betting laws that are in place are designed to target sportsbook owner operators as well as banks and financial institutions that process gambling related transactions. But there are no laws that go after the players specifically. So as long as you are betting with an offshore site that is licensed, regulated and located outside of the reach of the US, then it is perfectly legal for you to gamble. There are also no state laws prohibiting legally sanctioned offshore sports betting.

However, if you were to attempt to operate an online sportsbook within the state, you are engaging in criminal activity and illegal gambling, which is very against the law and punishable by law. If you're operating within the law, Oklahoma doesn't have an axe to grind. The sportsbooks you see in this guide are all legally licensed, subject to regulatory oversight from a legitimate jurisdiction, and are located outside of the United States. This means they are all legal sports betting destinations for residents of Oklahoma and throughout the US.

America's Federal Sports Betting Regulations

We pride ourselves on being a high-quality gambling resource site, and this means gambling as a whole. Not only do we focus on the state level, but we also focus on federal regulations that are enforced through US sports betting laws, and that may impede your ability to freely gambling from your own home or within your own state. Federal regulations apply to all 50 states unless explicitly noted otherwise, and Oklahoma is no exception.

The Federal Wire Act was passed in 1961 and is alive and well in Oklahoma. If you're inside of the state and accept gambling wagers via a phone line (a wire) or through the internet across state lines, then you are in violation of both state and federal statutes. This law makes it illegal to own or operate an online sportsbook within the US without a license, effectively prohibiting interstate sports betting throughout the US. The DOJ has also clarified that the Federal Wire Act applies to sportsbook gambling alone and not to casino or poker gambling. Keep in mind that this law does NOT make it a crime to place bets online within the US, only accepting sports bets online within US borders is a crime.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or the Bradley Act, known as PASPA, was a piece of legislation that the feds signed into law back in 1992. When this law was in effect it rendered all US based sports betting illegal throughout the entire nation, except for OregonNevadaMontana and Delaware. All other 46 states were not allowed to offer sports betting, lest they're in direct violation of federal law. PASPA was repealed in 2018 by the Supreme Court of the United States, giving states rights to enact sports betting laws.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, known as the UIGEA, is the big one that was signed into law by President George W. Bush. This act basically placed strict regulatory oversight concerning how online gambling transactions can be processed. Being the most recent federal regulation, you better believe that the feds take it seriously, and so too do most states. A state like Oklahoma doesn't really have any risk of violating this law since there is no online gambling businesses within the state.

The thing to remember about these federal laws is that they do not make it illegal for Oklahoma or US residents to participate in legally sanctioned offshore sports betting as long as the destination at which you are betting is in fact operating legally within the industry. To be legitimate, a site must be licensed and regulated, and based in a region outside of US jurisdiction. As long as the sportsbook is legally licensed and is not located inside of the USA, then Oklahoma residents are free to engage in their services.

The Choctaw Gambling Presence in Oklahoma

The Cherokee, Creek Nation, the Comanche and the Choctaw are all large, notable tribes around the Oklahoma area. All of these tribes are considered legally eligible for Native American casinos, and all of them do have a few casinos around the state. However, you're basically in Choctaw nation when you're in Oklahoma, and the majority of the casinos you find, and the best casinos you find, are undoubtedly going to be Choctaw casinos. There are well over 50 casinos throughout the entire state, and some of these include Osage casinos that are typically slots-based and that feature racing options like harness and simulcast racing. There are also a few Lucky Star casinos, but again these are primarily slots-based casinos and you won't find a lot of table games or poker rooms, or even any real features beyond some dining and slots.

The Hard Rock Hotel Casino in Tulsa is undoubtedly one of the state's largest. This casino has a mid-sized poker room featuring around a dozen tables, nearly 50 table games, and over 2,600 slot machines. You're also going to find great rooms, plenty of dining options, valet parking, and much more at this casino. Most of the Creek Nation locales are strictly slots, but their Casino in Muskogee does feature around 7 table games and a 10-table poker room. For Creek Nation, this is about as big as it gets.

Once you get into the Choctaw casinos, you start seeing more of a variety. Many of these Choctaw locations are actually hybrids that blend together horse racing and slots to create larger resorts. Their resort in Grant has some of the best rooms available in the state, but they only have a handful of table games and only a small 3-table poker room. The Choctaw in Durant, which isn't named after Kevin, is actually the best casino in the state and draws in people from Texas and Nebraska all the way to California. This huge casino has over 4,500 slot machines, 50 table games, and a massive poker room featuring 30 tables. It's open 24 hours a day, has parking, great rooms, plenty of eating and entertainment options, and more. There are about a dozen other Choctaw locations around the state as well.

If you want to gamble in Oklahoma, you won't be left looking around. With over 50 casinos, there's a spot to gamble in every little town, and definitely in every major city, from Texas to Nebraska. You won't be left without a location. All you have to do is look around.

History of Oklahoma Sports

In the Sooner State, college football is king and is home to two Power 5 Conference teams, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. These two teams play annually in a rivalry known as the Bedlam Series. While no one knows the origin for the name of the rivalry, most believe it was coined by fans at wrestling matches in the early 1900s between the schools where crowds on both sides were known to be raucous, causing “bedlam” during the matchup. For football, the teams have played each other 112 times since their first meeting in 1904, making the Bedlam Series one of the oldest rivalries in college football history.

Both programs have had several all-time great football players play college football for their respected universities. Some notable football players to play for the Sooners include Hall of Fame DE Lee Roy Selmon, Safety Roy Williams, DT Gerald McCoy, Pro Bowl RB Adrian Peterson, and Baker Mayfield, the No.1 overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft. Football greats from Oklahoma State include Hall of Fame RB Thurman Thomas, Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders, WR Dez Bryant, and current Oklahoma State Cowboys Head Coach Mike Gundy.

Betting on the 2019 Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners have been one of the hottest offensive teams in college football for the past couple of years. The previous two years Oklahoma made the college playoffs but were put out before they could reach the championship. This year they are looking to pass that hump with the addition of ex-Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts.

NCAA Championship Odds: +1200

Betting on the 2019 Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Cowboys will have to recruit better if they want to be contenders in the Big 12 conference. Sportsbooks generally have odds putting the Cowboys near the middle of the pack and outside the top 25 for teams to win the national championship. Head coach Gundy has brought a culture of winning on a consistent basis to the team, but the title of national champions still eludes Oklahoma State. This likely will not change in 2019.

NCAA Championship Odds: TBA

Oklahoma City Thunder NBA Basketball Team

The second big team in Oklahoma is the state's newest. In 2008, the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA went belly-up due to habitually losing. However, they had just picked up a fantastic player out of college named Kevin Durant. When moving the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder, the team's management surrounded Durant with other star players like Russel Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and Nick Collison. When healthy, the Thunder are easily a shoo-in for the Western Conference Finals. They had a tough year last year, with Durant suffering a nagging foot injury. This year, however, with a healthy roster, the Thunder should be in competition for it all, and other teams in the West better have their heads on a swivel.

Oklahoma City Thunder Odds To Win The NBA Championship +4000

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Their Chances to Win in the West

One of the biggest complements paid to the eventual NBA Champion Golden State Warriors last year was that they had an offensive style much like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Only with Golden State, they had two sharp shooters with Klay Thompson and Steph Curry who would make it rain from anywhere on the court. But many see the two teams playing similar styles. The only thing here, however, is that when fully healthy, the Thunder are able to do it better. They're just as young, they're even more athletic, and they're a lot stronger on the wing positions and down in the post. When Durant and Westbrook are both healthy, a team like Golden State cannot defensively stop them. This is going to be the Thunder's real competition in the West this year. If they can get over the hump in Golden State, then they should be slated for an NBA Finals match-up with the Cleveland Cavaliers out of the East.

Nothing in life is guaranteed, so don't take this prediction to the bank yet. But we do predict that, if they can remain healthy all season, the Oklahoma City Thunder will march through the playoffs en route to a Finals appearance. The only competition we foresee in the West comes by way of the Golden State Warriors. And not to discredit the Warriors, but it's highly improbable that their team will shoot 60% every game. Eventually, they will need to defend and rebound, and the Thunder have a decisive edge in both of these categories. So we see an exciting series, but it's going to go the Thunder's way.

Whenever you're betting, no matter what you're betting on, never rely strictly on one source of information. Do some research yourself and find out about stats, momentum swings, winning habits of teams, and other bits of information that will help you make the best gambling choice for you and your bank account. If you can put the time in and take it seriously, you can stockpile some winnings. We've done a lot of the research for you. If you want to play with the top rated, check out our list of best US online sportsbooks.

Helpful Links For OK Residents

Oklahoma Association For Problem Gambling