John Billings and a small group of friends make regular road trips to Kansas and Arkansas to do something that is still illegal in Oklahoma: Bet on sports.
“The money you spend on hotels, dining, drinks and things of that nature — would all stay here, locally,” he said.
Billings, 48, who lives in Tulsa and works in the energy industry, said the number of his out-of-state sports betting road trips would likely be “zero” if and when it becomes legal in Oklahoma.
“With all the casinos we have here, we haven’t fallen off the map,” he said. “It’s just the modern thing to do.”
Meanwhile, the founder and CEO of a global gaming management firm only needed a few words to describe sports betting in the U.S. since it became legal five years ago:
“It’s been a wild ride,” said Stephen Crystal of Las Vegas-based SCCG Management.
