River Spirit in south Tulsa has its eye on a form of gambling that’s been gaining steam.
The casino opened a bar earlier this month with infrastructure to support sports betting. The practice is not legal anywhere in Oklahoma but casinos are ready to flip the switch.
According to a press release, the Gridiron bar cost the Muscogee Nation more than $17 million and boasts the “largest sports viewing experience in Oklahoma” with a large video wall and dozens of televisions.
Wiley Harwell leads Oklahoma’s association for problem gambling. He says about 30% of Oklahomans already struggle with some aspect of addiction.
“In and of itself, it’s very disturbing that our numbers would be this high and we don’t even have legalized sports betting yet,” said Harwell.
