Washington Casinos 2018-2021 News Archive

Washington State Sports Betting Update: Feds approve 9 tribes, 7 tribes pending

September 4, 2021

The U.S. Department of Interior has authority for final approval of Washington sports betting agreements with state tribes. The agreements are amendments to gaming compacts overseen by the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs. Federal approval of the amended compacts allows the tribes to commence sports betting operations.

On Sept 1 the U.S. Department of Interior approved nine Washington tribes for sports betting. Seven more tribes are pending approval within the next few days.

A statement from Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) reads:

"This marks a major milestone in Washington State's Native American tribes' efforts to strengthen the self-reliance of our tribal communities. This approval marks the completion of a critical regulatory step toward to launching sports betting on the premises of tribal casinos."

- Rebecca George, WIGA Exec Director

APPROVED SPORTS BETTING
The nine tribes approved by the federal government this week for sports wagering are the Cowlitz, Lummi, Puyallup, Snoqualmie, Spokane Squaxin, Stillaguamish, Suquamish and Tulalip.

PENDING APPROVALS
The seven tribes that are pending federal approval are the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Jamestown S'Klallam, Kalispel, Muckleshoot, Shoalwater Bay, Skokomish and Swinomish.

Washington sportsbooks await final approval from U.S. Dept of Interior

July 15, 2021

On July 9, 2021 the Washington State Gambling Commission gave its final and official approval to sports betting in the state. Governor Jay Inslee signed 15 tribal sports wagering compacts last week defining the terms for operating sportsbooks in tribal casinos.

All that remains now is the approval of the compacts by the U.S. Secretary of Interior. The secretary has 45 days to accept or reject the compacts.

Once approved, sports betting licenses will be issued. The first operational sportsbooks are expected within a few weeks after that.

Which Washington casinos will operate sportsbooks?

June 22, 2021

Updated June 29, 2021

The Washington State Gambling Commission has formally approved sports betting agreements with sixteen state tribes. These agreements are amendments to the state-tribe gaming compacts. The 16 tribes own 23 casinos which plan to operate sportsbooks later this season.

The compact amendments are currently awaiting signatures from each tribe and from Gov. Inslee. When all are signed, the amendments will be forwarded to the U.S. Interior Department for sign-off. There is a deadline of 45 days for the federal approval process.

The following is the list of 16 tribes and their 23 casinos, which will be eligible for sports betting.

Washington State has signed sports betting agreements with 15 tribes

May 30, 2021

The Washington Gambling Commission has signed tentative compact agreements with 15 tribes to date. The agreements allow each tribe to operate a sportsbook inside their casinos. The tribes may also operate mobile sportsbooks on their tribal land.

Here is the current alphabetical list of tribes planning to operate sportsbooks in their casinos:

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Washington

Cowlitz Tribe

Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe

Kalispel Tribe

Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation, Washington

Muckleshoot Tribe

Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, Washington

Snoqualmie Tribe

Shoalwater Bay Tribe of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Reservation, Washington

Suquamish Tribe

Spokane Tribe of the Spokane Reservation, Washington

Squaxin Island Tribe of the Squaxin Island Reservation, Washington

Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington

Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, Washington

Tulalip Tribes

These state-tribe compact amendments to authorize sports betting are tentative and require ratification by the state legislature and approval from the U.S. Department of Interior.

Five Washington tribes have sportsbook agreements with State

May 18, 2021

KALISPEL • MUCKLESHOOT • SNOQUALMIE • SUQUAMISH • TULALIP

The Washington State Gambling Commission has reached agreements with five tribes to allow sports betting in their casinos. The agreements will amend the state-tribe gaming compacts, which requires final approvals from the state legislature and the U.S. Department of Interior.

So far these are the Washington casinos expected to kick off by this year's football season with sports betting. They are listed by date of agreement.

Four Washington tribes seeking first sportsbook licenses

July 15, 2020

Four Washington tribes are currently negotiating licensing details with the state Gambling Commission for authorization to offer sports betting at their casinos. The four tribes are the Tulalip, Suquamish, Snoqualmie and Kalispel. Each hopes to open their sportsbook operations before the end of 2020.

Washington became the 21st state to legalize sports betting in March 2020. The law limits bets to be placed with tribal casinos only, no online betting is allowed except at a casino, and bets can be placed on professional sports but not collegiate games.

The four tribes seeking the first sportsbook licenses own the following casinos:

Kalispel Tribe of Indians

Northern Quest Resort & Casino
100 North Hayford Road, Airway Heights, WA 99001
(509) 242-7000 | (877) 871-6772

Snoqualmie Tribe

Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel
37500 SE North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, WA 98065
425-888-1234

Suquamish Tribe

Clearwater Casino
15347 Suquamish Way, Suquamish, Washington 98392-9649
(360) 598-8700

Tulalip Tribes

Quil Ceda Creek Casino
6221 31st Ave NE, Tulalip, WA 98271
360-716-1700

Tulalip Resort Casino
10200 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip, WA 98271
(360) 651-1111

There are 25 other federally-recognized tribes in Washington that may also seek licensing for sports wagering.

Washington tribes reopened half of state's casinos in May

June 1, 2020

Washington tribes reopened 16 of the state's 35 casinos last month. New health protocols require no smoking, face masks and social distancing resulting in limitation of crowd sizes, operating hours, gaming machines, table games, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The casinos that reopened are listed here by date:

May 5 Northern Quest Resort & Casino is Reopened!
May 13 Angel of the Wind Casino
May 18 Emerald Queen Casino in Fife
May 18 Clearwater Casino Resort
May 18 Little Creek Casino
May 18 Red Wind Casino
May 19 12 Tribes Omak Casino Hotel
May 19 12 Tribes Coulee Dam Casino
May 19 12 Tribes Lake Chelan Casino
May 26 Tulalip Resort Casino
May 26 Quil Ceda Creek Casino
May 26 Muckleshoot Casino'
May 28 ilani Casino Resort
May 28 Quinault Beach Resort & Casino

Additional casinos have announced opening dates in early June:

June 1 The Point Casino & Hotel
June 8 Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma (New)

Washington becomes 21st state to allow sports betting

March 25, 2020

Today Gov. Inslee Gov. Inslee signed legislation to allow sports betting inside all Washington Indian casinos. Card rooms are excluded and mobile betting is limited to within casinos.

SUMMARY

• All bets must be placed inside licensed Indian casinos.

• Tribes must negotiate terms and conditions with the State to add sports betting to their gaming compacts.

• Betting is allowed on all professional sports except for minor league professional events.

• Betting is allowed on all college games except in-state colleges.

• Mobile betting is prohibited except inside a licensed Indian casino.

• The Washington State Gambling Commission will provide regulatory oversight to all sports betting operations.

There is no timeline to opening the first sportsbook in the state. The next step is state licensing of casinos via their gaming compacts. The following step will be investments by the casinos into betting facilities and gaming software. Hopefully, at that point COVID-19 will longer be a health threat and casinos will be operating again.

Bill Would Allow Sports Betting at Washington Indian Casinos

February 11, 2019

House Bill 1975 seeks to authorize sports betting only inside the tribal casino of the state. This would include betting on both college and professional sports.

Bets could be placed with a casino teller or at a kiosk within the casino. Bets could also be placed by mobile phone but only inside an Indian casino.

If passed, each tribe would be required to renegotiate their gaming compacts with the state to add the terms for regulating and taxing the sports waging. This is required by Indian gaming laws of the federal government and may take a year or more before betting can begin.

Kalispel Tribe plans for $10.5M casino at Kalispel Park

May 02, 2018

More plans have been announced for a new casino project by the Kalispel Tribe. The project is estimated to be finished by the end of this year and will cost $10.5 million to complete.

In addition to the casino, there will also be a market offering fresh food and a fuel station. There will also be an RV resort offering rental of storage units and tiny homes.

The project will be built in Cusick on the tribes' original reservation.

In the summer of last year ground was broken. During the winter and spring construction and building have continued to take place.

Over 100 slot machines will be in operation when the casino opens. There will be a player's club loyalty program. Future plans for the casino could include table games. That will depend on demand from guests.

Dining will be available. There will be a restaurant with 70 seats. Also, a 150 guest banquet room.

Casual dining will be available at the mezzanine at the Kalispel Market. It will also offer fresh groceries, convenience shopping, and vendors can rent space just outside. A laundry that is coin operated, shower and restrooms. Seven pumps at the fueling station.

33 sites will offer full hook ups at the Kalispel RV Resort. Guests will have access to internet, water, power, and sewer. Plus, a dump station for the RVs. Eight tiny homes will be available to rent.

Scheduled to be completed and open to the public by this summer will be the Kalispel Storage, Kalispel Market, and the Kalispel RV Park.

50 construction jobs have been created by the park alone. When opened, it will employ 75 people to fill both full and part time positions.