Washington Online Gambling: Quick Facts
- Legal Washington online gambling options: None
- Legal gambling age: 18 at tribal casinos.
- Who regulates Washington online gambling? N/A
- Legal mobile gambling? No
- Do I need to be physically located in Washington to gamble online? N/A
- Do I need to be a resident of Washington to gamble online? N/A
- Sports avalable to bet on: Horse racing at racetracks only.
- What can't I bet on? Online sports, casino and poker.
A Brief History of Washington Online Gambling
Washington is a stringent gambling state that did not jump on the online sports betting or casino gambling bandwagon. Delaware was the first state to legalize online casino gambling, and Nevada followed.
Online casino gambling has not gained much traction relative to sports betting. Sports betting was legalized throughout the nation in 2018 when the Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was unconstitutional.
New Jersey was the catalyst behind the legalization of sports betting. They fought the professional sports leagues and the NCAA for years on the subject of legal sports betting.
Once New Jersey won in the Supreme Court, all fifty states gained the ability to legalize sports betting. Washington did not attempt to legalize sports betting until 2020.
The legislature in Washington proposed two sports betting bills in 2020. The first bill allowed for state card rooms and tribal casinos to offer retail and mobile betting.
The second bill only allowed sports betting at tribal casinos. This bill is likely to end up in court because it was expedited through the legislative process.
A typical bill needs a 60% approval rate, and there was no chance that a tribal-only bill would get this much support. The bill was automatically signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee.
There are still multiple regulatory steps that need to occur before sports betting launches in the state. Although, there is a realistic chance that the bill is shot down in a state court.
Washington Online Gambling: The Current Law
Online gambling is only allowed on tribal land inside casinos. No sports betting has been implemented because there are still regulatory steps that must be taken before it goes live.
There are 30 tribal casinos in the state, and there has been no announcement about how many of the properties will offer sports betting. No online casino gambling is allowed in the state.
Legal Online Sportsbooks
There are no legal online sportsbooks in the state at this time. It’s unclear if any tribal nations will offer mobile sportsbooks geofenced on their tribal casino properties. It’s still unclear if sports betting will launch, so mobile betting is not being discussed.
Sports Betting in Washington
Washington will not have a substantial sports betting market because it will only be available in a retail betting format. If the tribal casinos provide sports betting apps, it will probably cost them more money, and it will not be valuable.
People will still have to travel to a casino to place a bet, so online betting will probably not come to fruition. This is shameful because the state has a significant presence of professional sports.
The state has a professional sports team in most major leagues, including the NFL, MLB, WNBA, NHL, and MLS. People in the state will not be allowed to bet on college sports teams in Washington or competitions in the state.
Here are the bets you will be able to place in Washington.
Moneyline
The moneyline is when you pick a team to win the game. The winner is the only thing that this bet involves.
A team with positive odds is an underdog on a sportsbook, and a squad with negative odds is a favorite. If you wager the Seahawks at +200 on the moneyline, they would be an underdog.
Point Spread
The point spread allows you to be underdogs without them having to win a game. It’s a bet that equals the playing field.
A negative spread indicates that a team needs to win by that amount. A positive spread means that a team needs to be within that number of points at the end of a game.
Totals (Over/Under)
The total is when you bet on the number of points that will be scored in a game. You either bet over or under a number that is established by the sportsbook.
Prop Bets
Prop bets involve smaller parts of a contest like individual or team statistics. For this reason, they are much tougher to win.
Future Bets
Future bets are when you wager something that will take place in the coming months or years. If you bet the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl in the offseason, you are placing a future bet.
Parlay Bets
Parlay bets are when you combine a group of events into one wager slip. This will lower the chances of your bet hitting, but it will give you a higher payout if all the legs are successful.
Legal Online Casinos
Online casinos are not legal in Washington. If people want to play casino games, they must do so at one of the thirty tribal properties in the state. It does not appear that online casino gaming will become legal in Washington.
Legal Online Poker
Online poker is not legal in Washington. If people want to play poker in Washington, they can do so at card rooms or many of the tribal casinos in the state.
How to Set Up a Washington Online Gambling Account
Most likely, you will have to sign up for a Washington gambling account in person. If the tribes launch sports betting apps, these will only be accessible inside tribal casinos. However, if you can set up an online gambling account, download a legal sports betting app.
You will be required to enter your name, address, date of birth, and social security number. The social security number is a necessary protocol. If you register in person, you will just need to provide a form of identification.
A unique password will keep all the information safe on your account. You should utilize numbers, symbols, and letters for your password to boost its strength.
Washington Banking Methods
I believe that Washington will only utilize cash because the sportsbooks will only be available through retail books. The standard banking methods in the United States for legal online sportsbooks are credit/debit card, PayPal, Neteller, PayNearMe, e-Check through ACH Payments, or a banking wire.
All your information will be safe on the sportsbook because providers must go through intense security measures to prevent identity theft.
The Future of Online Gambling in Washington
The future of online gambling is not terrible, but the current law must get vetoed in court for it to come to fruition. If tribal nations enact mobile gambling, it will not be widespread. If the current law is scratched in court, the legislature could develop a new law to pass universal mobile betting.
However, this is unlikely. The entire future of sports betting in the state is still very uncertain. Information will continue to unfold during the 2021 legislative session.
