Washington In-Person Sports Betting Takes Step Forward With Compact Approvals

• The Department of the Interior published nine state tribal gaming compacts.
• Washington in-person sports betting will launch early in the NFL season.
• Online sports betting not approved.
  

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The Department of the Interior published nine state tribal gaming compacts in the Federal Registrar earlier this week, paving the way for a potential launch of Washington in-person sports betting by the start of the NFL season.

An online sports betting aspect has not yet been approved in any of the Washington gaming compacts.

The Interior Departments approval of the compacts and publication in the registrar is the final step in the process for tribes to begin taking in-person sports bets. Several tribal leaders have expressed their desire to begin taking sports bets during week one of the NFL season.

Nine Washington Tribes See Approved Compacts

The Department of the Interior approved and published the following gambling compacts:

• Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
• Tulalip Tribe of Washington.
• Spokane Tribe.
• Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.
• Lummi Nation.
• Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
• Squaxin Island Tribe.
• Suquamish Tribe.
• Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians.

The Tribes now will need to have licenses approved by Tribal Gaming Agencies and the Gambling Commission before they can begin providing services to tribal sportsbooks.

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reported that several of the approved tribes are finalizing their vendors and are aiming to take bets week one of the NFL season. However, the timing for sports gambling will be up to the individual tribal casinos and how far along they are in implementing needed measures.

Washington Sports Betting Compacts Negotiated with 16 Tribes

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 seven tribes have received Department of the Interior approval, but are still awaiting compact publication in the registrar:

• Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.
• Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.
• Kalispel Tribe of Indians.
• Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
• Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
• Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
• Skokomish Indian Tribe.

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.

College betting is permitted, but bets placed on in-state colleges will not be allowed.