The gambling laws in Oklahoma permit betting on horse racing and casinos under the Tribal State Compact. According to the gambling laws, Oklahoma casinos must be sited on Indian reservations, and the state currently has 130 tribal casinos ranging from small scale parlors to full-fledged casinos. Some of these casinos are managed by big casino operators such as Caesars, although the majority of the casinos are operated by the tribes.
Oklahoma offers players a broad range of gaming options including Class II and Class III games. Class II games include punch boards, bingo, and pull-tabs, the class also includes slot games which calculates results by substituting random number generators for electronic bingo draws. In 2004, the legislature passed a bill that allows ball-and-dice games such as roulette and craps. Class III games now include roulette, slot games, baccarat, live poker, Three Card Poker, blackjack, video poker, and craps. However, there is a variation in the roulette and craps in Oklahoma is since cards are used in place of roulette wheels and dice. Off-track wagering on horses is the only type of online gambling that is explicitly legal.
Other types of gambling that are available in Oklahoma include charity gambling using raffles and bingos. The Oklahoma state lottery sells lotto and scratch-off tickets. Mega Millions and Powerball are the major interstate drawings. Although the state is fairly liberal when it comes to gaming, engaging in other forms of gambling that have not been explicitly allowed and regulated is regarded as a criminal offense.
Find Oklahoma Casinos on The Map
Interesting Facts About Oklahoma
As the tribal headquarters of 39 Indian tribes, Oklahoma has the highest population of Native Americans in the United States. Oklahoma is derived from 2 Choctaw Indian words: “okla” and “humma” meaning “people” and “red” respectively.
Oklahoma is also called the Sooner State. The 1889 Land Rush allowed settlers to claim lands, but before the official date on April 22, 1889, some settlers got a head start and grabbed lands “sooner” than others.
Oklahoma has more than 1 million surface acres of water. With more than 200 man-made lakes, Oklahoma has the highest number of man-made lakes in the United States.
On June 4, 1935, Sylvan Goldman, the owner of Humpty Dumpty stores in Oklahoma City invented the “folding basket carriers”, which were the blueprint for today’s shopping cart.
The biggest concrete totem pole in the world is located in Foyil, Oklahoma. At its broadest point, the pole measures 30 feet wide and 90 feet high.
Oklahoma Gambling Venues
Oklahoma has a thriving gaming market, with about 130 tribal casinos in contrast to a population of 4 million- the state is the headquarters of tribal gaming. WinStar- one of the biggest casinos globally, located on the Southern border of Texas in Oklahoma with more than 7000 gaming machines, 46 poker tables, 100 table games, and 800 bingo seats. The second-biggest casino is the River Spirit Casino features 3,100 gaming machines, 17 poker tables, and 30 table games.
Many casinos in Oklahoma also offer card tournaments and off-track betting. TwinSpires is the only provider of off-track betting services. Social gambling, including betting on high stake games is explicitly illegal in Oklahoma. There have been 2 incidents where players were arrested by the authorities for playing high staked poker games.
Oklahoma permits simulcast and live betting on horse races at 3 racetracks- Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, and Fair Meadows at Tulsa. Off-track wagering is exclusive to some areas in Oklahoma City.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to gambling, Oklahoma is a deviation from the norm. Tribal gaming was approved in Oklahoma after most US states, however, as a result of a large number of Indian tribes in the state, tribal gaming became widely accepted. The Sooner state has granted tribes the exclusive rights to casino gaming in the state and tribal casinos generate hundreds of millions in revenue.
Currently, only traditional casinos are legal in Oklahoma. Online gambling has neither been regulated nor prohibited in the state, so it is not explicitly illegal to play at online casinos in Oklahoma. However, operating an online gambling site as a resident of Oklahoma is a criminal offense punishable under the state laws. There is no indication from lawmakers that the regulation of online gambling is being considered.
Offshore websites are not regulated by the US, so American laws do not apply to them. It is your responsibility to ensure that your personal information remains uncompromised. Some of the ways you can do this include: using a strong password, wagering an amount that you can afford to use, and installing the latest antivirus and system software before visiting the offshore site.
There are numerous offshore sites that accept players from Oklahoma. It is even easier to make real money from online casinos now since mobile casino apps are easily accessible. It doesn’t matter if the casino website is accessed with your web browser or downloaded on your device, you can play for real money quickly. It is worth noting that some online casinos do not offer mobile apps. This is why you must conduct an extensive search first before deciding on which website to play.
Absolutely. Both Class II and Class III slot machines generate random results. The difference between both slot machines is in the way the combinations are generated. For Class II slot machines, when you achieve a winning combination of bingo numbers, you are awarded a prize that coincides with your bingo draw. However, Class III slots, are more popular at online casinos and the combinations are determined using a random number generator. Tribal casinos in Oklahoma offer both slot machines. Although a special approval is required for a casino to use Class III slots.
