After serving two terms and eight total years as Governor, Kevin Stitt is now out of office. Why is this going to be important for sports betting in Oklahoma moving forward? Simply put, it's because there was a tough relationship between Stitt and local Indian tribes in the state, which no question held back the push to get sports betting legalized. However, in a major breath of fresh air, Mike Mazzei's relationship with Oklahoma tribes could be major for the sports betting efforts.
Just on Nov. 3 earlier this month, Mazzei won the general election in Oklahoma to officially take over as the state's new Governor. Mazzei will be sworn in on Jan. 11 of 2027, and the hard work will begin for him and his team. With that, one of the major changes people are hoping for is sports betting. As things stand, there are no legal options, though people continue to take advantage of prediction markets being available. This was something Stitt was also not happy about.
However, with Mazzei getting ready to take things over in mid-January, there's some optimism here. We can't state enough just how important his relationship with the local tribes is, especially with the Cherokee Nation. Not long after the Mazzei news arrived, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. released a message on behalf of the tribe giving Mazzei unwavering support. The Cherokee Nation is of course interested in getting sports betting approved, which is why the statement of support is not surprising.
“There is no question that we can close the chapter on the most absurdly divisive period in the entire history of state tribal relations in Oklahoma. That will come to an end,” Hoskin said via a public statement that certainly has opened some eyes. “And it will come to an end as we open up the chapter of Mike Mazzei’s term as governor.”
One week ago tonight, we packed the Arvest Convention Center in Tulsa and celebrated a win that Oklahomans fought hard for. We earned every vote, and we won it the right way.
People said a businessman and former state senator couldn’t take on the political establishment and win, and we proved them wrong. We won because volunteers knocked on doors in all 77 counties, because families put signs in their yards and prayed over this campaign, and because Oklahomans decided they were done settling for less than excellence.
Noel and I are fired up and ready to lead. We’re going to fix how our kids learn to read, put money back in your pocket, and cut the waste out of a state government that has grown too big and too comfortable. Oklahoma’s best days are ahead, and we’re going to make sure of it.
— Mike Mazzei (@MazzeiMike) November 10, 2026
Tribes in Oklahoma are ready to keep building strong relations with the Governor now that Kevin Stitt is out
Hoskin's comment speaks to the major disconnect that was on display between plenty of Oklahoma tribes with the previous regime. Because of that, tribes in Oklahoma are ready to keep building strong relations with the Governor now that Kevin Stitt is out. In addition to the Cherokee Nation, Muscogee Nation Chief David Hill also shared how happy he was with Mazzei taking over, issuing a welcome message to him on his public Facebook page.
Why does all of this matter? Again, it's because of how sour the relationship with the tribes was with Stitt, especially over trying to get sports betting over the line. There were multiple efforts by Oklahoma tribes to get things moving in the right direction, but Stitt failed to meet them half way. This included some head-turning remarks from Stitt in 2025 when he said that he would 'veto' any sports betting bills that gave Oklahoma tribes exclusivity in running things.
This didn't sit well with the Tribes, especially after Stitt said that his interest was in bringing sports betting to Oklahoma if it was seen as a benefit for Oklahoma citizens, and not just the tribes. House Bill 1047 seemed like it was going to have some movement in 2025, but then nothing took off. Stitt, in the eyes of many, held the sports betting efforts back a bit. However, it's clear that several tribes in the Sooner State believe that Mazzei can help renew the push, and actually make an impact this time around.
Will Oklahoma be able to make history in 2027 with legal sports betting?
Moving forward, the questions begs: will Oklahoma be able to make history in 2027 with legal sports betting? That's the $1 million question that everyone has on their minds. The fact of the matter right now is that this time of the year, NFL betting is always strong across the country, but Oklahoma is one of only 11 states without legal sports betting in place.
With several states posting north of $100 million for a sports betting handle each month, this speaks to the massive potential for all the states that don't have betting options. Texas and Oklahoma go hand in hand here a bit, as the Lone Star State is still stuck on the sidelines. Mazzei has given people some hope in Oklahoma, but nothing will matter unless the right kind of sports betting bill can get developed.
The local tribes are still hoping to have exclusive rights for future sports betting projects, which Stitt was pretty against. That doesn't seem to be the case here with Mazzei, which could end up being a win-win for both the tribes, and sports betting proponents across the state. It will be interesting to see if that happens or not.
