Sports Betting in Oklahoma
Responsible Gambling Policy for Sports Betting Legislation, 2025
Download and read the full white paper.
Executive Summary
The Oklahoma Association on Problem Gambling and Gaming (OAPGG) urges all stakeholders in the debate over legalized sports gambling to acknowledge the risks associated with gambling disorder. Expanding legalized sports gambling in Oklahoma is likely to increase gambling participation and related problems unless proactive measures are taken to reduce harm.
Any sports legislation should include:
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Annual funding for treatment, prevention, education, and awareness of all issues related to sports betting
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Training for all employees and vendors on the signs and symptoms of gambling disorder with oversight by a third party
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Accurate representation of the odds of winning and accurate representation of the risk involved
1-800-GAMBLER promotion on all print, billboard, social media, and other advertising
Protection of at-risk populations from targeted advertising
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Participation in the statewide self-exclusion list hosted by OAPGG
Ability to set limits on the amount time and money wagered
Sports betting limited to those over 21 years of age
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Anonymized data collection and sharing with qualified researchers
Regularly conducted surveys on the prevalence of gambling and gambling problems
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Gambling education should be taught alongside the curricula of other addictive products
A NOTE ON GAMBLING NEUTRALITY
This white paper takes a gambling-neutral approach to the proposed solutions for gambling disorder and does not make recommendations for or against gambling. Regardless of whether there are legalized opportunities for gambling, it is possible for an individual to developing a gambling problem. Any new legislation or expansion in gambling should include protections and funding to prevent and mitigate harm.
Recommendations
1. Funding
Revenue from sports betting should support an annual allocation to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for the treatment and prevention of sports betting.
Increased funding for problem gambling treatment and prevention is essential, as sports bettors face disproportionately high rates of gambling problems, yet current resources lag far behind the need. Legalizing sports betting should trigger an increase in funding for problem gambling treatment and prevention, particularly because the rate of gambling problems among sports bettors is at least twice as high as among gamblers in general (Winters & Derevensky, 2019).
Funding for problem gambling is already low compared to funding for substance use disorders and prevalence rates (Marotta, & Yamagata, 2022). The National Council on Problem Gambling recommends allocating at least 1% of all gambling revenues toward initiatives that increase awareness or provide treatment and prevention for problem gambling.
Read more about gambling revenue and funding for problem gambling in Oklahoma.
2. Training
All employees and vendors should be trained on the signs and symptoms of gambling disorder with oversight by a third party.
Casino employees have the most opportunities for spotting the signs and symptoms of problem gambling, which means that casinos are the leading referral source for the helpline and treatment services. Employees should be trained to refer individuals to helplines and treatment services, ensuring that patrons are aware of and can easily access support.
Each casino and each shift needs dedicated and trained people to speak with those who show signs of a gambling disorder. Responsible gambling training should not be a one-time event but part of ongoing professional development, with refresher courses and updates on the latest research and intervention techniques.
OAPGG offers a variety of trainings to casinos, counselors, and others. In cooperation with tribal nations, OAPGG has developed training films and an intervention approach, as well as other responsible gambling trainings. OAPGG’s training programs can be tailored to specific roles, such as front line staff, security personnel, and management, ensuring that each group understands how to address gambling disorder within their responsibilities.
Read more about OAPGG’s tribal partners.
3. Advertising
Operators may not misrepresent the odds of winning and may not misrepresent the risk involved to a bettor’s own money.
Operators may not misrepresent the odds of winning and may not misrepresent the risk involved to a bettor’s own money. Misrepresentations of risk in advertising can support thinking and behavior that leads to gambling disorder.
In the 2022 Oklahoma problem gambling prevalence survey, individuals with maladaptive beliefs were more likely to have gambling disorder. Only 5.3% of individuals who endorsed neither maladaptive belief showed signs of gambling disorder, whereas 48.5% of individuals who endorsed both maladaptive beliefs had gambling disorder (Harwell et al., 2023).
Legislation should protect at-risk populations from targeted advertising.
Operators must be barred from targeting at-risk populations, such as those under the legal age for gambling, college students, and those in recovery from gambling disorder. Exposure to gambling advertisements is causally connected to increased positive attitudes toward gambling, interest, and gambling activity (McGrane et al., 2023).
Operators should include 1-800-GAMBLER on all print, billboard, social media, and other advertising.
All teller windows and online platforms should have brochures and posters to promote the Problem Gambling Helpline (phone: 1-800-GAMBLER, text: 800-GAM, chat: 1800gamblerchat.org). All print, billboard, social media, or other advertising should promote responsible gambling by including helpline information.
All public prevention and awareness efforts should offer a unified message. OAPGG works with tribal nations to lead Tribal Voices, a cooperative effort to unify responsible gambling efforts across the state of Oklahoma.
OAPGG provides brochures, posters, and other materials to tribal partners with information for both the helpline and OAPGG resources.
Read more about Tribal Voices.
4. Limits on Gambling
Sports betting operators should participate in the statewide self-exclusion program.
The current statewide database, managed by OAPGG, should be used by all gambling outlets to allow customers to voluntarily ban themselves. A unified statewide self-exclusion program ensures that individuals struggling with gambling can protect themselves across all gambling outlets with a single registration. When all tribes participate, it simplifies the process for customers, sparing them the burden of enrolling separately at multiple locations. This cohesive approach not only enhances the program’s effectiveness but also demonstrates a collective commitment to responsible gambling and customer well-being.
It is recommended that self-exclusion should be for 1, 3, or 5 years, and if there is a process for lifting the exclusion then a class on problem gambling should be used as one consideration for the lifting process.
Read more about participation in self-exclusion.
A consistent minimum age for sports gambling and related fantasy games should be established. 21 is the recommended minimum age.
A consistent minimum age for sports gambling and related fantasy games should be established. 21 is the recommended minimum age.
Teens and young adults are neurologically predisposed to take risks, and they lack judgment in decision making. The judgment needed to evaluate gambling risk is one of the last neurological skills to develop in young adults (typically around age 25), putting them at risk for problem gambling. Studies show that individuals who begin gambling at a younger age are more likely to develop lifelong gambling problems. Establishing a minimum age of 21 helps reduce early exposure and its associated risks.
Aligning the minimum age for sports gambling with other gambling activities creates consistency across the industry, simplifying enforcement and promoting responsible gambling practices.
Read more about limiting youth access to gambling.
Players should be able to set daily, weekly, and monthly limits on the time and money that they spend gambling.
A variety of features in sports betting increase the risk of gambling problems. Because of these design features, it is important that players have control in setting limits on their play.
In-play betting
Continuous in-play betting encourages bettors to keep placing bets without pausing to think clearly about the risk.Fandom
A sense of connection to a favorite sports team or player can challenge clear thinking about a wager.Scarcity principle
Bettors can believe that time is running out and they must place a bet immediately for the game ends.Social proofing
The increase in sports betting advertising and participation can lead to the assumption that sports betting has no harms.
Players should be able to set daily, weekly, and monthly limits on the time and money that they spend gambling. Operators should also provide regular reminders of time spent and money wagered to help players stay aware of their activity. Once limits are set, they should be enforced strictly, with no option for players to bypass or increase them until a cooling-off period has passed.
5. Data Collection and Research
Operators must collect anonymized data from all customers, including:
Demographic information, such as age, gender, income, and socioeconomic status to understand potential risk factors
Gambling habits, such as transaction history, login times, betting frequency, types of gambling activities, and amounts wagered
Operators must share data with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and qualified researchers, such as those at state institutions. Comprehensive data informs evidence-based policy decisions, ensuring that regulations are responsive to emerging trends and challenges in sports gambling.
They should also share a summary of the data on a public-facing website. The publication of research findings and data summaries on a public-facing website can help educate the community about gambling risks and promote informed decision-making among players.
Surveys of the prevalence of gambling and gambling problems should be conducted at regular intervals.
The surveys should focus on the impacts of sports gambling on the prevalence of gambling disorder and provide insight into what methods for reducing rates of gambling disorder are working. Research should also explore how sports gambling impacts diverse populations, including marginalized groups, young adults, and individuals with co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders.
Funding should be provided by gambling operators, or the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services should have access to the funding set aside in the problem gambling fund.
Read more about the results of the 2022 prevalence study.
6. Gambling Education in Schools
Gambling education should be required to be taught alongside the curricula of other addictive products, such as alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
References
Harwell, W. H., Spare, K., & Mills, D. J. (2023). Assessing the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling in Oklahoma among a non-probabilistic sample of adults. Report created by OAPGG and the Kansas City Port Authority Problem Gambling Fund Advisory Committee.
Marotta, J. & Yamagata, G. (2022). 2021 survey of publicly funded problem gambling services in the United States. National Association of Administrators for Disordered Gambling Services.
McGrane, E., Wardle, H., Clowes, M., Blank, L., Pryce, R., Field, M., Sharpe, C., & Goyder, E. (2023). What is the evidence that advertising policies could have an impact on gambling-related harms? A systematic umbrella review of the literature. Public Health, 215, 124-130.
Winters, K. C. & Derevensky, J. (2019). Comprehensive Review of Sports Wagering and Gambling Addiction. Washington, DC: National Center on Problem Gambling.