Pair Of Sports Betting Bills Introduced In Washington StateOne Would Legalize Online Betting In A State Where Online Poker Is A Class C Felony |
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Two bills that would legalize sports betting at Indian casinos in Washington State were introduced into the legislature this month.
A report from the Associated Press, however, indicates that these bills will likely have push back from the state’s private card rooms owners.
HB 2478 is the more comprehensive of the two bills introduced. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Brandon Vick and would allow sports betting at private card rooms and horse tracks in addition to tribal casinos, as well as online and mobile betting. The bill would only allow tribal casinos to offer online sportsbooks.
HB 2368 was filed around the same time as its counterpart, but would not allow for online betting and restrict sports betting to retail locations at the state’s 29 Indian casinos.
Eric Persson, the owner of Maverick Gaming, told the AP that the 19 private card rooms his company owns should not only be allowed to offer sports betting, but online sports betting as well.
“That’s what the consumer wants,” Person told state lawmakers during a Monday afternoon hearing on proposed sports betting legislation.
If either of these two bills or their companion bills in the Senate are passed, then the tribes would have the ability to renegotiate their gambling compacts with the state to allow sports betting. Vick’s bill passing would mean that tribes would be able to negotiate online betting into their compacts in one of the most restrictive states in the country for online gambling.
In June 2006, three months before the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, Gov. Christine Gregoire signed amendment RCW 9.46.240 into law, which made playing online poker a Class C felony.
The legalization of online sports betting could, in theory, have a positive effect on the online poker landscape in Washington. In a 2018 interview with a Spokane-based media outlet, three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and Washington resident Rep Porter told reporters that he thinks sports betting legalization could lead to poker legalization.
“They are just too closely related to say one is OK and not the other,” said Porter.
Following the May 2018 Supreme Court overturning of PASPA, 20 states have passed sports betting legislation and there are now six states with legal online gambling, including online poker.
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