In the USA where gambling laws create a patchwork of regulated and unregulated gaming states, a new push is underway to bolster legal sports-betting in Washington state – beyond what is available at tribal casinos.
On Wednesday the Senate filed a Bill (SB-5212) which could increase the scope of allowed gambling to include card-rooms and racetracks which are licensed by Washington State.
The Bill, co-sponsored by Senator Curtis King (R-Yakima) and majority floor leader Sen. Marko Liias (D-Lynnwood), would apply only to existing card rooms and racetracks.
The Bill is now a bi-partisan drive with the goal of generating revenues via operator taxation which can in turn be used to assist with the state’s response and recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Legal sportsbetting in Washington
Last spring Native American tribes were authorized to process sports bets, but as government compacts are still being negotiated this has not happened yet.
Maverick Gaming pushed a republican endorsed Bill to Lawmakers last winter which argued that the state would benefit financially through taxation beyond tribal casinos – only to meet rejection.
Now the world is a different place, and regulators all around the US will probably look at regulation to help reduce damage to local economies.
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.