Washington

Sports betting in Washington is fully legal, but there are some strict guidelines about where it can take place. Bettors in the Evergreen State can only place wagers on the grounds of one of the many tribal casinos throughout the state.

Not only can Washington bettors only utilize mobile betting apps while physically located at a retail facility, but they also do not have access to daily fantasy sports apps. The only gambling-related apps that bettors in WA can use are racebooks for horse racing, like TVG.

As far as what is legal and illegal to bet on in the Evergreen State, customers do have the option to bet on collegiate sports, but they cannot wager on in-state colleges. This means WA residents were unable to bet on the Washington Huskies in the National Championship. Outside of college athletics, eSports events are also legal to bet on.

Online sports betting in The Evergreen State

On March 25, 2020, Washington officially became a state with legal sports betting. However, the sports betting market the state created through that bill could be considered fairly restrictive for bettors. When Gov. Jay Inslee signed HB 2638 into law, Washington created a sports betting landscape that would strictly be run on tribal land throughout the state.

The bill allows all 30 tribal casinos in WA to apply for a sports betting license and open a retail sportsbook. While the bill also legalized mobile sports betting, all mobile betting apps can only be accessed and used by customers who are physically located on the grounds of one of these tribal casinos.

This guideline in the bill did not stop mobile operators from joining the Washington betting market, as operators like Betfred, BetMGM, FanDuel, Unibet, and more partnered with a tribal casino. The Snoqualmie Casino, run by the Snoqualmie Tribe, took the first legal sports wager in WA on September 9, 2021, and since then, tribal casinos throughout the state have slowly joined the party.

Like all lucrative markets, though, everyone wants a piece of the action, which is why Maverick Gaming LLC filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court against the state of Washington and its tribal casinos. The gaming company is out to say that the tribal casinos in WA should not have been given exclusive rights to sports betting and also to challenge the gaming compacts the tribes have with the state.

Maverick Gaming’s pursuit of joining the market in Seattle and changing the law has been unsuccessful up to this point, and they have since filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in WA

Two of the biggest things for Washington sports bettors to remember when looking to place a legal wager in the state are that they must be at least 21 years old and that they need to be physically located at a tribal casino that offers retail sports betting. Due to the layout of the state’s sports betting bill, remote registration is in no way available to bettors.

Even though tribal casinos are the ones in charge of the state's sports betting market, they are all regulated by the Washington State Gambling Commission. While it could be frustrating for bettors in the state to be physically present at a tribal casino to place a wager, one of the nicest aspects of the betting market in WA is there is no state tax on gambling winnings, as bettors just need to pay the usual 24% federal tax on winnings.

As Maverick Gaming continues to pursue legal action against the state in court, some lawmakers in Washington have introduced betting bills that would expand retail and online sports betting to racetracks and card rooms. Whether these bills will be passed is still up in the air, and even if the state were to expand the sports betting scene into these locations, it is unlikely that online casinos and online poker would also be made available to bettors.

Most recent updates from the WA sports betting scene

• May 16, 2024: The NFL schedule has been released, and the Seattle Seahawks will be opening their season at home against the Denver Broncos. Seattle has opened as a (-4.5) point favorite.

• May 14, 2024: The WNBA is back in action tonight as the Seattle Storm will open the regular season at home against the Minnesota Lynx. The Storm are currently (+1000) to win the WNBA Title.

• April 29, 2024: The Seattle Kraken have fired coach Dave Hakstol after the team failed to make the postseason.

• April 25, 2024: Former Washington Huskies football stars Michael Penix Jr. and Rome Odunze have been selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Odunze is (+2500) to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Penix Jr. is (+6000).

• December 10, 2023: Washington State's Lucky Eagle Casino temporarily closes after a tribal police officer fatally shot a murder suspect inside the casino. The closure is in place as the police investigate the incident.

• December 5, 2023: The American Gaming Association (AGA) names Joe Maloney as its new Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications. Maloney joined AGA from the Washington Commanders, where he served as the team's vice president of public affairs and strategic communications.

• July 26, 2023: The gambling regulator in Washington state raises the wager limit for cardrooms to $400, a significant increase from the previous limit of $300 set in 2009.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Out of the 30 tribal casinos in Washington, a little over a dozen currently have an active sportsbook. More casinos are expected to add sportsbooks in the near future, so within a few years, it is likely that over 20 of these tribal casinos will offer sports betting.

Aside from tribal casinos, Washington also has two racetracks and multiple off-track betting facilities for horse racing.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Only one of the two states bordering Washington offers legal sports betting. Oregon’s sports betting legislation differs from Washington's in some significant ways, including the fact that the state’s lottery runs it and that its lone sports betting app can be accessed from anywhere in the state.

Click on the state's name from the list below for more information on what retail locations are available in Oregon or why Idaho has yet to pass a sports betting bill.

Sports betting revenue impact on Washington's economy

Under HB 2638, all 30 tribal casinos in Washington can legally open a sportsbook if they obtain a sports betting license. The exact licensing fee they were required to pay is not accessible information at the moment. All casinos that do obtain a license are subject to multiple tax rates depending on what games their gross revenue is coming from.

Washington has offered legal sports betting since 2021, but the reports of their monthly handle, revenue, and tax income reports have yet to be released. Since all sports betting is done through tribal casinos, these reports are not likely to be seen anytime soon, but if that changes, we will instantly update our revenue tracker.

However, when looking at the neighboring state of Oregon, which has legalized online sports betting on only one sportsbook app (DraftKings), it is clear how lucrative such activity could also be for Washington. In the 2023 fiscal year, Oregonians wagered more than $565 million in sports betting, which generated over $37 million in tax revenue for the state.