KOSU is committed to being more reflective of the audiences we serve. In Oklahoma, having stories reported by Indigenous reporters for Native communities is imperative. KOSU's Indigenous Affairs reporting is led by Allison Herrera.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is pushing for the legalization of sports betting. And a bill filed by Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, would do just that.

Luttrell’s bill involves a tiered fee structure for tribes, where they pay more of a percentage of their revenue based on how much money they take in. That resembles the state’s exclusivity payments for tribes under the model gaming compact.

In 2022, Tribal nations paid more than $166 million dollars in exclusivity fees. Tribal nations in Oklahoma use the funds from gaming to support education programs of their own, Native language revitalization, elder care and in some cases, the growing cost of maintaining their criminal justice system after the 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma decision restored tribal jurisdiction to six tribal nations.

Jason Salsman, spokesperson for the Muscogee Nation, said some of the details of the current bill will have to be worked out.

"And I think right now, as it is the language in the proposals, I don't think it works for the Muscogee Nation," said Salsman, who thinks that the bill in its current form can be built upon.

Matt Morgan chairs the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. He says the state’s tribes all have varied levels of interest in sports betting, but that it also...

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