At its June 23 meeting, the Washington State Gambling Commission made no promises as to when sports betting will see the light of day.
“We’ll be realistic even if realism is not what people want to hear,” said David Trujillo, commission director.
His comments came in response to renegotiations between tribes and the commission to permit sports wagering.
The state legalized tribal-only sports betting in March. Under the new law, tribes can offer in-person sports wagering on casino properties, but statewide mobile betting is not included, according to Sports Handle. Bettors can wager on professional and college sports, with the exception of college teams from Washington.
“I think we all agree that we want sports betting to be beneficial … and that any ills are mitigated,” Trujillo wrote in a statement. “We want the process to move as quickly as possible, but the reality is that we are only one agency.”
The Kalispel and Suquamish tribes have already begun compact negotiations and the Tulalip and Muckleshoot tribes requested to do so. The Kalispel owns the Northern Quest Casino in suburban Spokane, and the Suquamish run the Clearwater Casino Resort northwest of Seattle.
Washington hosts 29 casinos run by 22 tribes across the state. There is also limited gaming at the state’s card rooms, which were shut out of sports betting by lawmakers.
The gambling commission will regulate and license sports betting. Besides licensing and regulations, the commission must develop a framework for enforcement, problem gambling programs and integrity measures. But regardless of the commission’s progress, sports betting won’t be able to start until the compacts are renegotiated.
