Oklahoma § 21-986 - Installing communication facilities for gamblers

§ 21-986. Installing communication facilities for gamblers

A. Installing communication facilities for gamblers is:

1. Installing communications facilities in a place which the

person who installs the facilities knows is a gambling place;

2. Installing communications facilities knowing that they will

be used principally for the purpose of transmitting information to

be used in making or settling bets; or

3. Knowing that communications facilities are being used

principally for the purpose of transmitting information to be used

in making or settling bets, allowing their continued use.

B. Any person not an employee of a communications public

utility authorized to transact business in this state by the

Oklahoma Corporation Commission acting within the scope of his

employment, violating subsection A above, who knows or has reason to

know said communications facilities will be used in making or

settling commercial gambling transactions and installs said

facilities with the intent to facilitate said commercial gambling

transactions and is found guilty thereof shall be guilty of a Class

D1 felony offense and shall be punished by imprisonment as provided

for in subsections B through F of Section 20N of this title, or a

fine of not more than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), or

by both such fine and imprisonment.

C. When any communications public utility providing telephone

communications service is notified in writing by an order of a court

of competent jurisdiction, acting within its jurisdiction, that any

facility furnished by it is being used principally for the purpose

of transmitting or receiving gambling information, it shall

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments

discontinue or refuse the leasing, furnishing or maintaining of such

facility, after reasonable notice to the subscriber, but no damages,

penalty or forfeiture, civil or criminal, shall be found against any

such public utility for any act done in compliance with any such

court order. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prejudice

the right of any person affected thereby to secure an appropriate

determination, as otherwise provided by law, in a court of competent

jurisdiction, that such facility should not be discontinued or

removed, or should be restored.

Added by Laws 1975, c. 283, § 6, eff. Oct. 1, 1975. Amended by Laws

1997, c. 133, § 273, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c.

5, § 176, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2025, c. 486, § 394, eff. Jan. 1,

2026.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective

date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 273 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.