Washington sports betting has entered the chat.
After first amending its state gaming compact in April to allow sports betting with the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, the Gambling Commission of Washington unanimously approved its sports wagering licensing rules last week. The rules will go into effect on Aug. 30.
Since the first agreement with the Tulalip Tribes, Washington has negotiated sports betting agreements with 15 other tribes in the state.
Each tribe amended its gaming compact with the state to include sports betting and have their amended compacts before the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Washington sports betting at the tribal casinos can begin when the amended compacts are approved by the department. If approved, vendors will need to have licenses approved by Tribal Gaming Agencies and the Gambling Commission before they can begin providing services to tribal sportsbooks.
If the timeline remains true, Washington tribal casinos who receive sports betting licenses could potentially take sports bets by week 1 of the NFL season, which begins on Sept. 9.
Washington will allow for in-person sports betting at tribal casino sportsbooks and online sports betting within tribal casino properties.
“I am very grateful for all the hard work Commission staff put into getting these rules finalized since we reached agreements with our Tribal regulatory partners in May,” said Washington State Gambling Commission Chair Bud Sizemore in a press release.
Washington enacted a new sports betting law in 2020, the Gambling Act (RCW 9.46), which contains all sports betting state laws, including additional money laundering and sport integrity provisions to protect gambling and sporting events occurring in the state and around the country.
According to the Gambling Commission of Washington, there are 29 federally recognized tribes in the state. All 29 tribes have a class III gaming compact, with 22 tribes operating 29 gaming facilities in the state. Currently, the gambling commission has negotiated sports wagering compact amendments with 16 tribes.
The following tribes have negotiated sports wagering compact amendments with the state:
- The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
- Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
- Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
- Kalispel Tribe of Indians.
- Lummi Nation.
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.
- Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
- Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
- Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.
- Spokane Tribe.
- Squaxin Island Tribe.
- Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians.
- Suquamish Tribe.
- Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.
- Tulalip Tribe of Washington.
- Skokomish Indian Tribe.
