The sports betting viewing area at Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel, owned by the Puyallup Tribe, on Nov. 13 in Tacoma. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times, 2025)
The sports betting viewing area at Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel, owned by the Puyallup Tribe, on Nov. 13 in Tacoma. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times, 2025)
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By
Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton
Seattle Times business reporter
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill Monday that expands tribal sports betting and furthers gaming regulations as the state battles illegal online gambling.
The new law extends sports betting on tribal lands to collegiate events, on top of professional and Olympic events that were already allowed.
Within the state’s borders, Native American tribes are the keepers of casinos, and they hold the exclusive right to sports betting.
There are a few stipulations in the new law.
Notably, sports bets cannot be placed on the performance of specific players. They also can’t be made on in-game decisions by Washington coaches, such as player substitutions and timeouts, and officiating decisions like rulings on penalties and fouls.
“During a time when online hate and harassment are on the rise, it’s more important than ever that we protect student athletes by properly regulating sports betting on college sports in our state,” State Sen. Adrian Cortes (D-Battle Ground), who co-sponsored the bill, said Monday.
The Washington Indian Gaming Association celebrated the move.
“This bill strengthens a model that protects consumers and respects tribal sovereignty, ensuring that any wagering happens within a framework that has worked for decades,” executive director Rebecca George, a citizen of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, said Monday. “At a time when new products are trying to blur the lines around what is and isn’t gambling, Washington is choosing clarity.”
She referred to the local gaming system as “grounded in tribal-state partnership.”
Yale Rowe, CEO of the Emerald Queen Casino, called it “a meaningful step forward.”
The casino, which has two properties in Fife and Tacoma, is owned and operated by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
“Expanding betting to include in-state college teams brings something people are already interested in just where it belongs: into a safe, regulated environment,” Rowe said Monday.
The legislation had to undergo a few tweaks.
State Rep. Chris Stearns (D-Auburn) said he added two amendments to the bill: an anti-harassment provision to protect players, coaches and officials, and the ban on prop bets on players, coaches and officials.
“Sports betting should never put athletes or officials at risk,” Stearns said in a Facebook video posted March 10. “These changes help protect the integrity of the game and the people who make sports possible.”
The new law follows a recent lawsuit by Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown against Kalshi, an exchange and prediction market, for allegedly breaching the local antigambling laws.
The attorney general targeted gambling operators, including Israel’s Playtika and Australia’s Aristocrat, in February for allegedly skirting the law through mobile games.
Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton: 206-652-6373 or mboyanton@seattletimes.com. Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton is a business reporter at The Seattle Times.
The sports betting viewing area at Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel, owned by the Puyallup Tribe, on Nov. 13 in Tacoma. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times, 2025)
Skip Ad
By
Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton
Seattle Times business reporter
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill Monday that expands tribal sports betting and furthers gaming regulations as the state battles illegal online gambling.
The new law extends sports betting on tribal lands to collegiate events, on top of professional and Olympic events that were already allowed.
Within the state’s borders, Native American tribes are the keepers of casinos, and they hold the exclusive right to sports betting.
There are a few stipulations in the new law.
Notably, sports bets cannot be placed on the performance of specific players. They also can’t be made on in-game decisions by Washington coaches, such as player substitutions and timeouts, and officiating decisions like rulings on penalties and fouls.
“During a time when online hate and harassment are on the rise, it’s more important than ever that we protect student athletes by properly regulating sports betting on college sports in our state,” State Sen. Adrian Cortes (D-Battle Ground), who co-sponsored the bill, said Monday.
The Washington Indian Gaming Association celebrated the move.
“This bill strengthens a model that protects consumers and respects tribal sovereignty, ensuring that any wagering happens within a framework that has worked for decades,” executive director Rebecca George, a citizen of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, said Monday. “At a time when new products are trying to blur the lines around what is and isn’t gambling, Washington is choosing clarity.”
She referred to the local gaming system as “grounded in tribal-state partnership.”
Yale Rowe, CEO of the Emerald Queen Casino, called it “a meaningful step forward.”
The casino, which has two properties in Fife and Tacoma, is owned and operated by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
“Expanding betting to include in-state college teams brings something people are already interested in just where it belongs: into a safe, regulated environment,” Rowe said Monday.
The legislation had to undergo a few tweaks.
State Rep. Chris Stearns (D-Auburn) said he added two amendments to the bill: an anti-harassment provision to protect players, coaches and officials, and the ban on prop bets on players, coaches and officials.
“Sports betting should never put athletes or officials at risk,” Stearns said in a Facebook video posted March 10. “These changes help protect the integrity of the game and the people who make sports possible.”
The new law follows a recent lawsuit by Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown against Kalshi, an exchange and prediction market, for allegedly breaching the local antigambling laws.
The attorney general targeted gambling operators, including Israel’s Playtika and Australia’s Aristocrat, in February for allegedly skirting the law through mobile games.
Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton: 206-652-6373 or mboyanton@seattletimes.com. Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton is a business reporter at The Seattle Times.
