Will WinStar World Casino in Oklahoma Soon Have a Sportsbook? (Updated)
- WinStar World Casino becomes first to partner with NFL
- The casino has partnered with the Dallas Cowboys, a team that plays about an hour away
- Move was thought to potential jump start efforts to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma
- So far as we are now in 2023, just crickets
Joining Forces With the Dallas Cowboys
Though the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, OK won't have a sportsbook in time for the 2018 Football season, many are optimistic that bets may be taken in the not-so-distant future following word that the property has joined forces with the National Football League.
The world's largest casino, which is within an hour's drive from Dallas, Texas, becomes the first to casino establishment to partner with the NFL.
Not surprisingly, the casino will be partnering with the Dallas Cowboys.
Prospects of Sports Betting in OK and Near North Texas
Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing for individual states to legalize sports wagering in May 2019, Texas seems uninterested as always when it comes to anything gambling-related. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is gung ho over the prospects. This new partnership should further incentivize those lawmakers sitting on the sidelines.
A bill was introduced to allow the Oklahoma governor to expand the tribal-state compact and include "sports pools." The expansion would have consisted of "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." The Oklahoma's legislative session ended with no action being taken on its bill, despite that state not bein adverse to gambling.
The likelihood of mobile or online sports wagering, even in Oklahoma, appears close to zero through 2020. No action has been taken in Oklahoma on this front as of May 2019 despite fast paced movement elsewhere across the US. International websites continue to take bets from both states, including in-play wagering.
What the Deal Consists of
The WinStar World Resort has now been named the "Official Team of the Dallas Cowboys".
“The Dallas Cowboys take great pride in aligning themselves with the best brands in the world,” Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager, Jerry Jones said in a news conference. “It is a privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder as partners with such a prominent entertainment brand like WinStar World Casino.”
Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said the tribe has always had a close connection with Dallas and north Texas.
“Hundreds of Chickasaws live in the Dallas area and the Dallas Cowboys are a vital part of the community,” Anoatubby said. “While this partnership is a great business deal, that is only one of the reasons we are excited to be involved with the Dallas Cowboys and the Jones family."
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
