Oklahoma § 21-991 - Betting or letting premises for betting on races

§ 21-991. Betting or letting premises for betting on races

A. Except as provided for in the Oklahoma Horse Racing Act, it

shall be unlawful for any person, association, or corporation:

1. To bet or wager upon the result of any trial of speed or

power of endurance of animals or beasts; or

2. To occupy any room, shed, tenement or building, or any part

thereof, or to occupy any place upon any grounds with books,

apparatus, or paraphernalia for the purpose of recording or

registering bets or wagers or of selling pools, or making books or

mutuals upon the result of any trial of speed or power of endurance

of animals or beasts; or

3. Being the owner or lessee or occupant of any room, tent,

tenement, shed, booth, or building, or part thereof at any place

knowingly to permit the same to be used or occupied to keep,

exhibit, or employ any device or apparatus for the purpose of

recording or registering such bets or wagers or the selling or

making of such books, pools or mutuals, or to become the custodian

or depository for gain, hire or reward of any money, property or

thing of value, bet or wagered or to be wagered or bet upon the

result of any trial of speed or power of endurance of animals or

beasts; or

4. To receive, register, record, forward or purport or pretend

to forward to or for any racetrack within or without this state, any

money, thing or consideration of value offered for the purpose of

being bet or wagered upon the result of any trial of speed or power

of endurance of any animal or beast; or

5. To occupy any place, or building or part thereof with books,

papers, apparatus, or paraphernalia for the purpose of receiving or

pretending to receive or for recording or for registering or for

forwarding or pretending or attempting to forward in any manner

whatever, any money, thing or consideration of value, bet or wagered

or to be bet or wagered by any person, or to receive or offer to

receive any money, thing, or consideration of value bet or to be bet

upon the result of any trial of speed or power of endurance of any

animal or beast; or

6. To aid or assist or abet at any racetrack or other place in

any manner in any of the acts forbidden by this section.

B. Any person, association, or corporation convicted of

violating the provisions of paragraph 1 of subsection A of this

section shall be guilty of a Class D3 felony offense and shall be

fined not less than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) nor more than Five

Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and be imprisoned as provided for in

subsections B through F of Section 20P of this title. Any person,

association, or corporation convicted of violating any provision of

paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 of subsection A of this section shall be

guilty of a Class C2 felony offense and shall be fined not more than

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments

Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or be imprisoned as provided for

in subsections B through F of Section 20M of this title, or both

said fine and imprisonment.

C. Any personal property used for the purpose of violating any

of the provisions of this section shall be disposed of as provided

for in Section 1261 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

Added by Laws 1913, c. 185, p. 414, § 1. Amended by Laws 1983, c.

11, § 37, emerg. eff. March 22, 1983; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 275, eff.

July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 178, eff. July 1,

1999; Laws 2025, c. 486, § 230, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.

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

date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 275 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.