Until recently, the biggest hurdle for legalization was a disagreement over tribal exclusivity. The conversation has shifted to the potential dangers of online sports betting.

The future of what would be the largest expansion of gambling in decades is uncertain, after a setback during a Senate committee on Thursday.

Bills that would legalize sports betting, including one that would allow the Oklahoma City Thunder to obtain a gaming license, advanced Thursday from a Senate committee despite concerns that at least one measure could violate existing compacts with the state’s tribes.

With its first swing of the bat in 2025, sports betting legislation appears to have whiffed. A new bill that purports to solve conflict among key betting stakeholders stalled out in its first committee hearing of the year on Thursday.

The OKC Thunder have entered the chat regarding legalizing sports betting in Oklahoma. State senators in the Senate Business and Insurance Committee approved three sports betting bills in Oklahoma on Thursday,