The Washington Indian Gaming Association has issued a statement on the state’s Gambling Commission voting to approve sports wagering licensing rules.
Earlier this week, the Washington State Gambling Commission voted 4-0 to approve final rules governing the certification and licensing of the vendors that will work with the Evergreen State tribes to provide sports betting on the premises of tribal casinos.
The rules will come into effect on August 30, and at the federal level, 16 Washington State tribes are awaiting final approval of sports betting compacts previously approved by the Gambling Commission, which is expected shortly.
The 16 tribes are the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community alongside the Cowlitz, Jamestown S’Klallam, Kalispel, Lummi Nation, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Shoalwater Bay, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Squaxin Island, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, Tulalip, and Skokomish Tribes.
In response to the sports betting licensing rules vote, Rebecca George, Executive Director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association, said in a statement: “This vote by the Gambling Commission means Washington State tribes remain on track to be able to go live with sports betting on the premises of tribal casinos in the near future.
“We applaud the effort and work that the Gambling Commission and its staff have put into keeping this process moving forward in a timely and responsible way, and we are pleased that it appears that interested adults in Washington State will soon be able to place wagers on sporting events in a safe and responsible way.
“Tribal sports betting will boost our economy and generate much-needed revenue to fund important services for communities across Washington.”
