Two Oklahoma tribes and one from California have partnered with a New York City gaming company to launch a new sports-themed betting app.
The app, PlaySqor, uses “first of its kind Class II sports-themed gaming technology,” according to a news release.
PlaySqor’s creators, Vetnos LLC, designed the game to advance the reach of Class II (bingo) gaming while filling a need in tribal sports gaming offerings, the release states.
“PlaySqor targets the casual fan betting on their favorite athletes on a fast, fun fixed-odds betting platform, strategically developed with a bingo engine,” the release states.
“We wanted to give tribes an option, … especially in places where (legalized) sports betting hasn’t been decided,” Valerie Spicer, chief gaming officer at Vetnos, told the Tulsa World by phone Wednesday.
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PlaySqor will allow people to bet as little as $1 on player matchups from a variety of sports, including pro and college football, basketball, soccer, hockey, golf and others, she said.
For example, matchups could involve quarterbacks or running backs in football, or individual basketball or baseball players.
Once app players pick various matchups, the matchup winners are then placed on a bingo-type card, where users can win money based on rows or what type of pattern of “squares” they fill, much like a tic-tac-toe board, she said.
The app will be available for free download through iPhone and Android devices, probably sometime in the first quarter of next year, depending on final testing, she said.
It will be licensed by tribes, which will also be able to customize and market the app as they wish.
“We want it to be theirs,” Spicer said.
Under PlaySqor, tribes would earn a percentage of revenue, or a “commission,” she said. No revenue would go to states.
PlaySqor “is an easy-to-learn twist on sports-themed gaming with an added layer of strategic fun,” the release says. “Traditional sports betting can be complicated, intimidating and aimed at a small percentage of possible players, but the PlaySqor games are easy to understand, and the entry point (fee) is low.
“Developed in consultation with Class II legal experts and using a Class II-experienced independent testing lab for strict compliance with Class II technical standards, PlaySqor democratizes the sports vertical, with a fixed odds approach to wagering.”
The simplest answer in maybe. But, it’s complicated issue.
While traditional sports betting is not yet legal in Oklahoma, Class II gaming has been legal for years.
The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, based in Wyandotte in Ottawa County, is one of the partners in launching the app.
The tribe operates the Indigo Sky Casino and Resort near Wyandotte.
“We are not one of the larger tribes, but we are strategic, forward-thinking and progressive,” Eastern Shawnee tribal Treasurer Justin Barrett said in a statement.
Barrett
“When tribes are able to expand and manage our gaming offerings properly, we can generate more revenue for the betterment of our people and our communities.”
The other Oklahoma tribal partner is Anadarko-based Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.
Parton
“For us, it’s important to always be looking for ways to enhance the future of our tribe and our communities,” said tribal President Terri Parton.
“Because it’s Class II, there is no revenue share with the state, so tribal nations will earn more. When tribes earn more, that means more jobs and stronger communities,” she said in a statement.
The Chicken Ranch Tribe of Me-Wuk Indians of Jamestown, in central California, is the other tribal partner launching the app.
“This is an exciting time for our tribal nation partners and Vetnos,” said Vetnos founder and Executive Chairman Joshua Berkowitz in a statement.
“We set out to deliver value and opportunity to Indian Country and are committed to deepening our relationships with tribes throughout the country. Our proprietary technology platform and patented games change the landscape for tribal nations looking for a lower-risk entry point into sports gaming in a purely Class II format,” he said.
Since a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018 allowing states to legalize sports betting if they choose to do so, more than $152 billion has been legally wagered on sports in nearly 30 states as of Monday, according to legalsportsreport.com.
For Oklahoma to legalize in-person sports betting, the Legislature more than likely would have to amend existing tribal gaming compacts, which give the state’s tribes gaming exclusivity.
Many observers have said soured relations between Gov. Kevin Stitt and tribal leaders has been a main obstacle regarding in-person legalized sports betting in Oklahoma.
State and tribal leaders also would have to come to an agreement on the percentage of revenue from sports betting for both.
In most states that have legalized the practice, the state or local tax is roughly 3% to 15%.
Q&A: Legalized sports betting in Oklahoma. A glance into the different views of this complex issue
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Where does it stand?
A bill has been introduced in the state House by Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, that would add legalized sports betting to existing gaming compacts between the state and the state’s tribes. Under the bill, 10% of the revenue generated would go to the state.
What are the chances of the bill being heard, debated and passed?
No one is really sure. The bill, or anything like it addressing the issue, would likely need the backing of legislative leadership for it to go anywhere. Contacted last month by the Tulsa World, House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat said through spokesmen they had no comment on the issue.
The Legislature convened this year on Feb. 7. It must adjourn by May 27, but the session could end earlier. Treat in a statement in 2020 told the Tulsa World “I’ve consistently said that I think sports betting or wagering is a potential negotiating point for the state in its compact negotiations with the tribes.”
What are the obstacles to legalized sports betting?
Most observers have said it is soured relations between Gov. Kevin Stitt and state tribal leaders, who have fought over gaming compacts, and continue to fight over hunting and fishing licenses, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt decision.
“I don’t think you can separate the subject matter from the entire landscape between the governor’s office and the tribal leaders,” said Matthew Morgan, chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.
“There’s always been a line of communication. We don’t see that here. That’s unfortunate. That’s a sad situation for everybody. We’re not meeting our potential. We’re not doing everything that can possibly be done.”
“Governor Stitt is open to any compact as long as it is a fair deal, enforceable, and provides the transparency and accountability all 4 million Oklahomans deserve,” Stitt’s office said in a statement to the Tulsa World.
There are also many conservative members in the Legislature who do not favor gaming on moral grounds, and do not want to see it expanded with legalized sports betting.
What are the arguments for legalizing sports betting in Oklahoma?
They are two-fold. First, proponents argue, sports betting is already going on in the state through illegal means, either online or through sports bookies. “Oklahomans are getting on the internet every day and placing illegal bets in the sports market,” Morgan said.
Second, several states in the region have already legalized sports betting, including Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Colorado. “There’s no doubt that bettors will drive to partake in their entertainment purposes,” Morgan said.
At least 30 states and the District of Columbia have approved various forms of legalized sports betting – in person, online and through phone apps — since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said states could do so if they choose.
Proponents argue that revenue being made in those states in the region with legalized sports betting could be going into both the coffers of the state of Oklahoma and local tribes.
How much money is involved?
A staggering amount. As of Feb. 7, according to legalsportsreport.com, more than $96 billion has been wagered legally on sports in the U.S. since the 2018 Supreme Court decision. Of that figure, about $7 billion in revenue has been made by gaming establishments, and more than $900 million has gone to local and state governments, according to the website. The amount of money kept by states and local governments varies by state from 6.2% to 15.1%, according to the site.
Luttrell in a news release announcing his bill said it would generate an estimated $240 million in revenue for Oklahoma and create over 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
According to the American Gaming Association, 37.5 million Americans will bet on this year’s Super Bowl between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams – a 35% increase from last year, the Associated Press reported. The jump is mostly due to legalized sports betting, the AGA said. The total estimated amount that will be wagered on the game – including legal, illegal, personal bets with relatives and office pools is more than $7.6 billion, a 78% increase from last year, the AGA said.
Could tribes in Oklahoma offer legalized sports betting in their casinos without approval of the Legislature?
No. Legalized sports betting is not currently included in existing gaming compacts between the state and tribes, and any changes in the compacts would require legislative approval.
If legalized sports betting is approved and signed into law, Morgan said, a formal offer would then be made to tribes. If accepted, the change would then go to the U.S. Department of Interior, which would likely quickly approve it, given the Supreme Court decision.
So will anything be approved this year?
No one knows for sure, but proponents have reason to be optimistic with the introduction of Luttrell’s bill. The issue has not been on the legislative agenda since the Supreme Court’s decision, despite the expectation among many observers that it would quickly be approved.
“This legislation just makes sense,” Luttrell said in his news release.
If legalized sports betting is not taken up or approved this year, a similar effort could be taken up during the next legislative session.
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