Washington Sports Betting Kicks Off With Opening of First Sportsbook
- The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe will officially open the state’s first sportsbook.
- The Snoqualmie Casino Sportsbook will begin taking bets at 11 a.m. PST.
- Department of the Interior approved and published nine initial tribal gaming compacts for sports betting.
Washington sports betting will officially begin this morning as the Snoqualmie Casino plans to open the state’s first regulated sportsbook.
The Snoqualmie Casino, which bills itself as the closest casino to Seattle, will open its sportsbook to the public at 11 a.m. PST and begin taking bets. The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe was one of nine state tribes to have their gaming compacts published last week in the Federal Registrar by the Department of the Interior.
The opening of the sportsbook comes hours before the NFL’s season opener between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys. Snoqualmie Casino representatives noted a desire to open its sportsbook by week 1 of the NFL.
The Snoqualmie Casino sportsbook will feature six sports betting kiosks and several staffed sportsbook windows. Patrons will be able to place bets at the automated kiosks 24-hours a day.
The time has come sports bettors!! Snoqualmie Casino Sportsbook officially opens tomorrow, September 9th at 11AM! We can’t wait to share this experience with you! pic.twitter.com/JulD0n9zWV
— Snoqualmie Casino (@SnoCasino) September 8, 2021
An online sports betting aspect has not yet been approved in any of the Washington gaming compacts. However, Snoqualmie Casino representatives noted that guests will be able to place online bets while on their tribal casino property through geofencing technology in the near future.
The DOI’s 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 other tribal leaders have expressed their desire to begin taking sports bets during week one of the NFL season.
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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.
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.
Rob covers all regulatory developments in online gambling. He specializes in US sports betting news along with casino regulation news as one of the most trusted sources in the country.
