Washington residents who are physically at Indian casinos can now bet on sporting events. Unfortunately, Indian casinos are not open currently, and most professional sports are out of commission too.
On March 25, Governor Jay Inslee signed the law making Washington the 21st state to legalize sportsbooks. The legislation limits sports betting to tribal casinos, elbows out commercial casinos, and doesn’t allow for online apps. Bettable sports include college, professional, overseas, Olympic, and even esports contests.
As he signed the bill, the governor declared, “This will give people an opportunity to participate in a new gaming activity that is safe and well-regulated by the tribes.” Washington has 29 federally-recognized tribes.
Rebecca Kaldor, executive director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association, moderated her praise in light of the Covid-19 crisis, telling NW News Network, “We’re excited that it got over the finish line and the governor signed it today, but we’ve got bigger problems right now than sports betting.”
Pointing out that the state’s tribal casinos are closed, she added, “As we recover from this crisis, the addition of this amenity will help tribal governments fund the essential services their members will need to get back up on their feet.”
Passage of the bill was controversial, and was fought by commercial card rooms and operators of racetracks because they weren’t included in it. Maverick Gaming, which owns the lion’s share of the so-called “mini-casinos,” and its CEO Eric Persson said it would create a “tax-free monopoly for tribal casinos,” and cost the state tax revenues.
He wrote a letter to the governor urging him to veto the bill and arguing that the state was “giving up millions of dollars in tax revenue that could support local and state priorities,” because the tribes don’t pay state taxes.
Many critics of the bill pointed out that it was rushed through the legislature using an “emergency” clause, which meant that there didn’t have to be a referendum as the state’s constitution requires when there is a change to the gaming laws.
