Oklahoma's Governor Kevin Stitt has exercised his veto power on SB 1589, a bill aimed at regulating sweepstakes casinos, despite it receiving considerable backing from legislators. In contrast, Louisiana's lawmakers have successfully passed HB 883, following the earlier approval of HB 53, which together may provide the state with enhanced tools to combat unregulated gaming activities.
The veto of SB 1589 was officially recorded on May 7, 2026, according to the Oklahoma Legislature's bill tracker, with updates appearing on May 11. In a message regarding the veto, Stitt expressed concerns that the bill was overly broad, potentially criminalizing common applications used for entertainment. He argued that it unnecessarily introduced a new felony and extended criminal liability to various businesses and service providers.
Stitt further noted that the vague nature of the bill could create uncertainty for businesses acting in good faith, thereby stifling innovation and investment within the state. He emphasized that Oklahoma could safeguard consumers without resorting to criminal penalties that exceed the issues they aim to address.
Had SB 1589 been enacted, it would have revised Oklahoma's gambling laws to explicitly ban online casino games, defining them as games allowing users to wager something of value through computers, mobile devices, or tablets, including slots and lottery-style games. The bill specifically targeted sweepstakes casinos by categorizing “representative of value” to encompass any currency used in a dual-currency payment system, allowing exchanges for prizes or cash equivalents.
Moreover, the legislation would have broadened liability to include suppliers, platform providers, geolocation firms, affiliates, payment processors, and promoters involved in illicit gambling operations. Any violations would have been classified as a Class C2 felony under state law.
Despite the veto, there remains a possibility for the Oklahoma Legislature to attempt an override. The Senate had previously passed SB 1589 with a unanimous vote of 48-0, while the House approved it with a 65-21 vote. Under state law, a two-thirds majority in both chambers is required to override a gubernatorial veto. While the Senate's vote surpassed this threshold, the House fell short by three votes.
In a historical context, the Legislature has overridden 47 out of 68 gubernatorial vetoes in the 2025 session, a rare occurrence.
On the other hand, Louisiana's Senate passed HB 883 unanimously on May 12, following a 99-0 approval in the House. The bill now awaits concurrence from the House regarding changes made by the Senate before it can be sent to Governor Jeff Landry.
HB 883 seeks to amend the state's “gambling by computer” laws to encompass online and mobile games that simulate gambling and utilize dual-currency payment systems, allowing players to convert virtual currency into cash or prizes. Additionally, Louisiana lawmakers have passed HB 53, which modifies the state's racketeering laws to include existing gambling offenses as predicate crimes, now pending Landry's decision.
This dual strategy by Louisiana lawmakers aims to address unregulated gambling, following a previous attempt last year when a bill to ban sweepstakes casinos was vetoed by Landry, who argued that existing enforcement mechanisms were sufficient. The future of both HB 53 and HB 883 remains uncertain, echoing the situation in Oklahoma.