This page is about playing the gambling game blackjack in Oklahoma. It might seem strange to start a page titled Oklahoma blackjack with this statement. But when I searched for Oklahoma blackjack the first few results were about a charcoal grill.
You can play blackjack in many Oklahoma casinos. All Oklahoma casinos are tribal, or Indian owned casinos. And Oklahoma has one of the biggest casinos in the world where you can play blackjack.
By the time you finish this post, you’re going to know the top places to play blackjack in Oklahoma, why you might not want to play blackjack in Oklahoma, and everything else you need to know to play.
Legal Blackjack in Oklahoma
You can legally play blackjack in Oklahoma. But all legal blackjack games are run by Indian tribe owned casinos.
I don’t have anything against tribal owned casinos. The ones I’ve been in are pretty much like casinos I’ve been in owned by big companies. But it seems like in the states where there are tribal and corporate casinos; the competition might make the casinos work harder at offering competitive games.
Of course, this might just be in my mind with nothing concrete backing it up. And there are so many tribal casinos in Oklahoma that there’s plenty of competition.
The biggest casinos in Oklahoma are in or close to the biggest cities in the state. But there are many casinos spread around the state, so no matter where you’re located or traveling in Oklahoma, you can find a casino close by.
But there’s a big problem with blackjack in Oklahoma. The problem is so big that I can’t recommend playing blackjack anywhere in the state. See the next section to learn why Oklahoma blackjack shouldn’t be played.
I also cover online and digital blackjack games in Oklahoma in another section below.
Oklahoma Blackjack Games and the Blackjack Ante
I’m sure you find the news good that you can play blackjack in many Oklahoma casinos. But there’s some really bad news that comes with the good news.
Almost every blackjack game in Oklahoma requires an ante. The ante usually runs .50 or $1. However, I have heard of games without an ante that only pays 1 to 1 for natural blackjacks. To be clear, I haven’t seen these games personally, so I can’t verify the games with no ante exist.
The reason why Oklahoma blackjack games require an ante comes from the way the laws are written about gambling in the state. It comes from games like blackjack being required to be player banked games.
I don’t completely understand how an ante makes a game player banked, but I don’t need to understand to know everything you need to know about these games.
Blackjack games in Oklahoma are basically unplayable because of the ante. You’re welcome to play. But the house edge comes in far too high to make the games decent.
Most blackjack games in Las Vegas and Atlantic City come with a house edge between .5% and 1% when they pay 3 to 2. But when you add an ante, it makes the house edge explode.
Even if you bet $100 a hand, a $1 ante makes the house edge go up 1%. And if you bet less on each hand, the edge goes up more. If you bet $50 a hand and pay a $1 ante, it makes the edge go up 2%.
And if you don’t pay an ante but blackjack only pays 1 to 1, the edge is also much too high.
Oklahoma blackjack games are terrible.
Online Oklahoma Blackjack
Can you play online blackjack in Oklahoma?
I’m not a lawyer. This means none of the following information can be viewed as legal advice. But everything in this section includes facts as I understand them.
It’s not specifically illegal to play online blackjack in Oklahoma. But it’s not specifically legal to play blackjack in Oklahoma either.
That makes it as clear as mud, doesn’t it?
Some states have specific laws making online blackjack legal or illegal. Other states, like Oklahoma, don’t cover it in the laws.
Here’s what this means to most gamblers. Oklahoma and most other states don’t actively look for and prosecute people playing blackjack online. Some states go after online casinos offering blackjack, but leave players alone.
The fact is you can play online blackjack in Oklahoma. Many online casinos offer real money blackjack to Oklahoma residents. But I stop short of saying it’s 100% legal.
I live in another state that doesn’t have laws covering online gambling. I’ve gambled online for over 20 years with no issue. If I lived in Oklahoma I’d play. But you should talk to an attorney before playing online blackjack in Oklahoma.
Could Oklahoma license and regulate online blackjack play in the future?
Of course, anything is possible. And there’s nothing leading me to believe that Oklahoma won’t consider legalized online gambling in the future. But it might take several years before it happens.
The Top 5 Oklahoma Blackjack Casinos
Oklahoma has over 65 casinos, all owned by Indian tribes. But not every casino in Oklahoma offers blackjack games.
Before traveling to play blackjack in Oklahoma, call ahead to verify the casino offers blackjack.
Here are the 5 biggest casinos in Oklahoma. And they all offer blackjack games. I’ve included a little bit of information about each casino, including where they’re located.
WinStar World Casino
WinStar World Casino was at one time the largest casino in the world. And it’s easily the biggest casino in Oklahoma.
The WinStar Casino offers over 100 table games including blackjack, a 55 table poker room, and over 10,000 slot machines and electronic style gaming machines. And all of this sits in a 400,000 square feet gaming space.
You can play regular blackjack, blackjack match, and Blazing 777 blackjack at WinStar.
You can visit the WinStar World Casino and Resort at 777 Casino Avenue, Thackerville, Oklahoma.
Other table games available at WinStar Casino include:
- Mini baccarat
- Craps
- Roulette
- Dai Bacc
- Mississippi Stud
- Three Card Poker
Choctaw Casino Resort Durant
The Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, houses 7,400 slot machines, a poker room, and over 100 table games. And of course, the most popular table game at Choctaw Durant is blackjack.
Here are the blackjack house rules at Choctaw Casino Resort:
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2
- When you split aces you only receive one card on each ace
- You can double on any two cards
- You can split to up to four hands
- You can double down after splitting
You can visit the Choctaw Casino and Resort at 4216 South Highway 69/75, Durant, Oklahoma. The resort stays open 24 hours a day.
Other table games spread at Choctaw include:
- Blazing 777 Blackjack with a progressive jackpot
- Free Bet Blackjack
- WPT Heads Up Holdem
- Bonus Craps
- Craps
- Ultimate Texas Holdem
- Baccarat with Dragon Bonus
- Three Card Poker
- Roulette
- Let It Ride
River Spirit Casino
River Spirit Casino offers 3,000 slots style electronic games, poker, blackjack, and other table games in a 200,000 square feet gaming area. And you can even find a Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant inside the River Spirit Casino
I’ve visited 100s of casino sites over the years. And I’ve got to tell you the directions on the River Spirit site are the best I’ve ever seen. Instead of an address, here’s how to find the casino.
You can find the River Spirit Casino just south of 81st Street and Riverside Drive in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’m sure the casino has an official address, but I don’t know it.
Riverwind Casino
Riverwind Casino offers 2,800 electronic games like slot machines, blackjack, poker, and other popular table games.
In addition to traditional blackjack, you can also play bonus spin progressive blackjack, blackjack match, and Buster Blackjack at Riverwind Casino.
You can play at the Riverwind Casino at 1544 State Highway 9, Norman, Oklahoma.
Hard Rock Casino Tulsa
Housing over 2,600 electronic slot machines and games, Hard Rock Tulsa just makes the top 5 Oklahoma blackjack casinos. In addition to electronic games, you can play blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, and baccarat.
Hard Rock Tulsa also offers Down Under blackjack. It’s not available anywhere else in Oklahoma.
You can play blackjack at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa by visiting 777 West Cherokee Street, Catoosa, Oklahoma.
Conclusion
Oklahoma might be the worst state for legal blackjack games. Blackjack games are available in many Oklahoma casinos. But the ante rules make the games terrible from a house edge standpoint.
If you want to play a few hands every now and then, I suppose it’s ok. But playing too much blackjack puts a big hurt on your gambling bankroll.
While it’s not covered in the state laws, online blackjack offers a lower house edge and better options than any land-based casino located in Oklahoma. But play at your own risk or speak to an attorney before playing online blackjack in the state.