With the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing sports betting, you can expect it in Oklahoma casinos — eventually.
"We look forward to being able to embrace that and bring it to the market. Obviously, our main focus is providing a steady revenue stream to our shareholders, and it’ll create some jobs," said Cherokee Nation Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Mark Fulton.
But, by some estimates, it may take up to five years for sports betting to get off the ground in Oklahoma.
Fulton said the state has no legal framework for that kind of wagering, so Oklahoma lawmakers will need to take up the issue.
"It really rests in their hands right now, and I know there’s already different debates going on out there, immediately within 24 hours, as to what path the state may take," Fulton said.
In a 6–3 decision Monday, the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law banning sports wagering in most states. New Jersey voters approved sports betting in 2011, but pro sports leagues and the NCAA challenged their law in court, laying the groundwork for Monday's ruling.
