Oregon in the Sports Betting News

The year 2022 figures to the year that several important states finally start the sports betting ball rolling. There could be a lot of activity coming over the news wires as things heat up in California and Florida during the summertime. For now, it looks like some of the nation’s Indian Tribes are making an impact with sports betting in Oregon and Wisconsin.

Oregononians Could Be Wagering Statewide on March Madness Games in 2023

With the NCAABB March Madness tournament coming in less than three weeks, it’s clear Oregon sports bettors will be missing out on yet another major sports betting event. With that said, there is a possibility this will be the last time that happens

Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney has introduced a bill, SB1503, to the Senate Committee on Rules. According to the language of the bill, the Oregon State Lottery would be authorized to start taking bets on sports as soon as the bill is passed and signed by the Governor.

While the bill is expected to meet some opposition as sports betting bills have in the past, this is the first time real progress has been made. Shortly after the bill was introduced, interest was high enough that two amendments were introduced. The first amendment seeks to ban betting on individuals in college sports, and the second amendment targets using some of the state’s sports betting tax revenue to create college grants.

As for possible opposition to the bill, that is likely to come from the state’s Indian Tribes who are currently running sportsbooks from their casino properties. They are also concerned that any further access to statewide sports betting would savage revenue from the actual casinos.

According to Justin Martin of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde: “[SB1503] would be taking money out of tribes’ pockets. We need to take a pause and study this and look at the right way to do things in Oregon moving forward.”