Legal sports betting in Washington is the exclusive domain of tribal casinos, which pay no taxes to the state on their revenue. This is an amazing setup for the tribes but not necessarily bettors, who must visit these casinos to place wagers.
Disclaimer: For those outside of Washington, you may face restrictions on the offers you see on this page.
It's no stretch to say that Washington's betting infrastructure is the country's friendliest to Indian tribes. They have monopolies on both Vegas-style casino gaming and sports betting in the state, to which they pay no taxes.
For the tribes, this setup is a dream come true. For commercial entities that would like to offer such wagering, it's a nightmare, although many major national sports betting operators have branded sportsbooks on tribal properties through various partnerships. And for bettors, it's probably somewhere in between.
Technically, there's mobile betting in Washington, but it comes with a gigantic caveat. Some tribal sportsbooks have sports wagering apps, but bets can only be placed from someone's phone when the bettor is physically located on the tribal gaming property. Hence, the somewhat oxymoronic term "onsite mobile" was coined, specifically with Washington in mind.
Current Sportsbooks
14Licenses Allowed
30Chewelah Casino: 2555 Smith Rd, Chewelah, WA 99109
Muckleshoot Casino: 2402 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA 98002
Spokane Tribe Casino: 14300 US-2, Airway Heights, WA 99001
Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort: 15347 Suquamish Way NE, Suquamish, WA 98392
Quil Ceda Creek Casino: 6221 31st Ave NE, Tulalip, WA 98271
Tulalip Casino: 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd, Tulalip, WA 98271
Emerald Queen Casino: 2920 East R St, Tacoma, WA 98404
Swinomish Casino & Lodge: 12885 Casino Dr, Anacortes, WA 98221
March 25, 2021
Governor Jay Inslee signs HB 2638 into law, thus legalizing sports betting at tribal casinos.
November 9, 2021
The Snoqualmie Tribe opens the first retail sportsbook in Washington, with former Seattle Supersonics star Shawn Kemp placing the ceremonial first legal wager.
December 29, 2021
The Snoqualmies launch a mobile sports wagering app. However, use of the app is restricted to the grounds of the tribe's physical casino-resort east of Seattle. In essence, a more accurate description of this app would be "onsite mobile."
January 10, 2022
A state senate bill is introduced in hopes of expanding legal sports wagering to horse racetracks and commercial card rooms in the state. This bill, as well as several that would follow, never sees the light of day, offering ample evidence of the tribes' tremendous legislative sway.
January 11, 2022
Maverick Gaming, which operates several card rooms in the state, files suit in federal court, claiming that the state's compact with Indian tribes illegally grants them a monopoly on sports wagering.
February 21, 2023
A federal court rules against Maverick, thus reaffirming the tribes' exclusive ability to offer sports wagering in Washington. Maverick, which pledged to appeal the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, would file for bankruptcy in 2025.
Sports betting is legal in Washington, but only if a bettor is present on a tribal casino property with a retail sportsbook. A few of these properties have mobile apps, but their geofencing prevents wagering off the property itself. Hence, in Washington, mobile wagering equates to onsite mobile.
Anyone who is at least 21 years of age can bet on sports in the Evergreen State.
The Washington State Gambling Commission regulates sports betting in Washington.
Washingtonians are blessed with a plethora of sports on which to bet, including: Australian Rules Football, badminton, bandy, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, boxing, chess, cornhole, cricket, curling, cycling, darts, disc golf, floorball, football, futsal, Gaelic Sports, golf, handball, field hockey, ice hockey, jai alai, lacrosse, MMA, motorsports, lacrosse, NCAA wrestling, Olympic Games, pesapallo, pickleball, pool, pro mini golf, rowing, rugby, sailing, SlapFight, snooker, soccer, softball, surfing, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, water polo, winter sports, and Sumo wrestling.
There is no wagering on sporting events involving schools based in Washington. Bettors are allowed to wager on college sporting events involving schools located outside of the state.
Fantasy sports and, in turn, DFS are expressly illegal in Washington.
It is legal to bet on horse racing in a variety of ways in Washington. While there's only one racetrack, Emerald Downs in the Seattle-Tacoma area, that still plays host to live racing, bettors can wager on simulcast races around the world there, as well as at a dozen off-track betting parlors throughout the state. Washington horseplayers can also bet on races online through account wagering.
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