Last month, lawmakers in the state of Washington introduced House Bill 2638 – a bill that would allow limited sports betting at tribal casinos and cardrooms. HB 2638 was introduced together with its companion Senate Bill 6394.
This week, the Washington Senate Labor and Commerce Committee passed the bill, and it now moves forward to the Way’s and Means Committee, where it will be discussed further.
When the vote for the bill came up at the Labor and Commerce Committee, Chair Karen Keiser – although not a fan of gambling herself – encouraged voters to back it.
“I urge support for this bill before us,” was reported as saying. “I am not a great fan of either gambling or sports. It seems to me, especially when it comes to gambling, we have a couple of things to deal with: the threat of addiction and the threat of corruption. And I think it’s very wise of us to take a very small first step in moving forward with the ability to have sports gambling.”
The lead sponsor of the bill, Rep. Strom Peterson was asked why Washington’s 44 card rooms were being kept out of the bill and limited only to tribal casinos. Senator Curtis King replied that some of the members of the committee (on both sides of the political spectrum), were concerned about expanding legal sports betting so quickly. As such, by limiting it to tribal properties only, it was more controllable, he added.
About HB 2638
- Will allow in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and cardrooms.
- Will allow mobile sports betting on premises.
- Betting will be allowed on all professional sports or athletics events. It will also allow betting on collegiate sports and the Olympics, among others.
- Addresses issues such as tax and license fees.
- Does not stipulate the cost that operators will need to pay for sports betting licenses.
As many as 29 tribal gambling facilities will be able to offer sports betting under the bill, including Tulalip Resort Casino in Marysville, Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn and others, which are located in very close proximity to downtown Seattle.
In early February, the bill passed through the House with an overwhelming 83-14 majority.
