A pair of bills that could expand the availability of legal sports betting in the Evergreen State were recently revived in the Washington legislature.
House Bill 1630 and Senate Bill 5587 were reintroduced by resolution earlier this month and retained in their present status, which is still very early in the legislative process.
Both bills (which have multiple sponsors) had a first reading and were referred to a committee in early 2023, but that's all. Whether they make it any further in the Washington state legislature remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, the legislation is still there and there is a chance, however small, that it could make progress during the shorter session of Washington’s two-year legislative cycle. And, if they were ever to become law, it would mean changes for legal sports betting in the state.
Online sports betting ... sorta
Sports betting in Washington state is currently limited to Native American-owned gaming facilities, such as the Emerald Queen Hotel and Casino in Tacoma and the Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn. H.B. 1630 and S.B. 5587 would broaden the availability of event wagering and permit retail and online sports betting sites at a card room or racetrack.
So, even if the bills pass, Washingtonians would not be able to pull up DraftKings or FanDuel on their phone and start gambling from home. The card rooms and tracks would be able to take bets at kiosks, wagering windows, or with an app or site that only accepts action while used on the property of a licensed operator.
“Each sports wagering licensee may provide no more than one branded sports wagering website, which may have an accompanying mobile application bearing the same brand as the website for an online sports pool,” the legislation says. “Any sports wagering website and mobile application must only allow wagering at that cardroom or racetrack facility.”
See you in court
Revenue earned through the expanded sports-wagering operations would be subject to a 10% tax, which would be in addition to $100,000 licensing fees. Bettors would have to be 18 or older to place a wager at a card room or track. No betting would be allowed on college sports played in Washington or by a Washington state college.
Again, though, there is a good chance none of this comes to pass. Both bills have made little progress, and this year’s legislative session in Washington is only 60 days long. Last year’s session lasted 105 days.
There are other developments related to sports betting happening outside the legislature as well.
Card-room operator Maverick Gaming LLC is fighting in court to invalidate compacts between Washington state and its tribes that allow for sports betting at the casinos. Oral arguments in that case are scheduled to be heard by an appeals court in Seattle this March.
“I know that our perspective on sports betting is at odds with those who prefer a monopoly for Tribal casinos, but I respect their right to advocate for their members,” Maverick Gaming CEO Eric Persson said in a press release last year. “Maverick Gaming will one day offer sports betting at its properties in our state, either following a ruling by the United States Supreme Court or an inclusive policy discussion by the state legislature that is founded in facts.”
