As a lawmaker in a state where sports betting remains illegal, Oklahoma Sen. Bill Coleman wondered what all the fuss was about. So, a few years ago, the Kay County legislator hopped in his car before the NFL playoffs and drove north to see for himself.
“The state of Kansas, that’s where I made my first sports bet,” Coleman (R-Ponca City) told colleagues during an interim study on sports gambling in October. “I drove a little ways to Kansas and made a bet that was whether (Cincinnati Bengals quarterback) Joe Burrow would rush for more than 50 yards in the AFC conference championship. (…) I kept the ticket because it showed me that there was an entertainment aspect to sports betting. Watching the game was a completely different experience having that sports ticket.”
