• Online Gambling Washington State Law School
• Online Gambling Washington State Laws
• Washington State Law Online Gambling

Washington is a very interesting state when it comes to talking about online poker. While they have laws on the books that can make playing poker up to a Class C felony, the state has NEVER enforced this law. Thus, no one has ever been prosecuted, arrested, or indicted for playing online poker. Pathological gambling behavior — Warning. 9.46.075: Gambling commission — Denial, suspension, or revocation of license, permit — Other provisions not applicable. 9.46.077: Gambling commission — Vacation of certain suspensions upon payment of monetary penalty. 9.46.080: Gambling commission — Administrator — Staff — Rules.

Washington state lawmakers have finally passed sports betting legislation!

On March 25, 2020, governor Jay Inslee signed HB 2638 into law. This bill authorizes sports wagering in the state subject to a revision to the WA Class III tribal compacts currently in effect.

Before you get too excited, of course, the fact that these compacts have to be modified before domestic sports betting is launched means that you'll likely still have to wait several months until you can actually place wagers at retail venues on Washington soil.

Notably, Washington is also one of two US states that have passed specific legislation to outlaw offshore betting sites, severely limiting Washington's gambling options. Fortunately, there are some online sportsbooks that will accept WA registrations and assume players are playing at their own risk.

Is Sports Betting Legal In Washington?

Yes, but it has not been rolled out yet and is subject to tribal compact re-negotiations. The bill, passed in March, specifically bars online sports betting in state, mandated that all wagers must be 'placed and accepted at a tribe's gaming facility only while the customer is physically present on the premises of that tribe's gaming facility.'

While it is unclear, mobile gaming could be allowed under these terms if the mobile sports betting app is geo-fenced to the tribal venue where the wagering takes place. Several states have such limited exceptions for mobile sportsbooks that are locked to their facilities.

As noted above, Washington also has a state law that is aimed at residents who wager online. The charge is a Class C Felony which is less severe than a class 1 or 2 but can still land you in some serious trouble.

However, even though the state laws forbid this action, we have found no indication that anyone has ever been arrested or charged with gambling online.

Washington Sports Betting Bills

Though HB 2638 has been passed to allow for Washington sports betting, there could be more bills on the subject in the future. Our bill tracker page is a great tool for keeping up with state politics related to sports wagering.

Best Online Sportsbooks That Service Washington Residents

Following are our recommendations for online sportsbooks that are legally operating outside of the United States and that accept US bettors. These sportsbooks have been in the industry for years and are highly regarded by both analysts and bettors alike.

You can browse through them for yourself by clicking on the links provided in the table. Again, WA residents should place bets online at their own risk based on the restrictions imposed by state gambling laws.

Washington Sports Betting Details

Washington is now on the road to offering sports betting to in-state residents at physical sportsbooks. However, due to specific state regulations, offshore wagering remains punishable by law (though this seems to be unenforced). We do not suggest that playing online is okay, but we have not heard of anyone ever being prosecuted, fined, or arrested for doing so. Offshore sportsbooks do offer their services to WA residents, but they suggest you abide by local gambling laws.

• Legal Sports Betting: Yes - Tribal only (pending)
• Minimum Sports Betting Age: 18 (pending)
• Land-Based: Tribal only (pending)
• Online: No.
• Mobile: Possible, only on sportsbook premises
• In-Play: N/A
• Estimated Revenue: N/A
• Eligible Operators: N/A
• Commission: N/A
• Licensing Fee: N/A
• Tax Rate: N/A
• Tax-Funded: N/A

What You Can Bet On in Washington:

• Washington law allows for sports betting at physical tribal venues pending a restructuring of Class III gaming compacts. State-wide online betting is not allowed. Offshore books, however, will accept WA residents who may gamble at their own risk.

What You Can't Bet On in Washington:

• No sports betting of any kind has launched yet.

Where Can I Bet On Sports in Washington?

There is nowhere to bet legally in Washington state yet, though the activity has been legalized. Offshore sportsbooks and other gambling sites offer their services to Washington residents as 'play at your own risk' sites.

Biggest Sports Betting Cities In Washington

Sports Betting In Seattle, WA

The Seattle Seahawks and the Seattle Mariners are the two major professional sports franchises located in Seattle, and the Washington Huskies athletic program is also located in the city. You can bet on teams from Seattle and around the world in a variety of sports at our recommended offshore sportsbooks.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Betting In Washington

Will I get arrested for betting on sports in Washington?

It is possible. Since state gambling laws forbid betting online or with non-tribal local bookies, there is a real possibility that you could get charged or go to jail if caught betting on sports in Washington State. Gambling is considered a class 3 felony and is punishable up to 20 years or $20,000.

Are mobile sports betting apps legal in Washington?

No. Due to specific state laws, there are no legal gambling apps in Washington State. Some apps or sportsbooks will accept WA registrations but technically if you sign up and bet, you are breaking the law. Washington's new sports betting law does not allow for state-wide mobile sportsbooks.

What teams can I bet on in Washington?

Offshore sportsbooks offer betting lines for all the Washington professional and college teams. You can also find other betting lines that are not typically offered at domestic sportsbooks including Political betting, and international sports.

Are there any local sportsbooks in Washington?

Not yet. Washington state has passed sports betting law where the activity will be limited to tribal operators on their physical grounds.

What is the legal minimum sports betting age in Washington?

Washington law says that the legal gambling age is 18 throughout the state.

Who regulates sports betting in Washington?

Sports betting is legal but not yet live. The Washington State Gambling Commission is in charge of regulating domestic casinos, and they will be heading up oversight of the forthcoming tribal betting operations.

Washington Legislative Resources

Washington Gambling Resources

If you or someone you know is seeking help to fight a gambling addiction the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling was established to help. At Evergreen there are professionals that can help you with addiction and restore order to your life.

Washington News

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The State of Washington is the only state in the United States that has a specific law prohibiting online gambling. In many states, existing gambling law may pertain to online gambling, but this is not always clear, whereby in Washington they have taken the step to make it very clear that it is illegal.

The Gambling Act of 1973 did prohibit the sending and receiving of various gambling information across the technologies of the day, but this did not of course include the internet. So in 2006, the state legislature passed Bill SSB 6613 which added the technologies of the internet and other means of telecommunications as being prohibited for use for gambling purposes in Washington. They also upgraded the offense from a gross misdemeanor to a felony (1)

The law was challenged in Washington State Supreme Court by the Poker Players Alliance in 2010 on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, but the court upheld the law. So it is here to stay unless there is a political will to change it, and so far this hasn‘t been the case.

So if you are playing poker online and reside in the State of Washington, you are both receiving and transmitting gambling information over the internet, and therefore you are clearly in violation of the law and have committed a criminal act.

So this means that online poker players in Washington now face possible jail time for playing online, and while no one has gone to jail yet for this, it probably won’t happen either because no online poker room will touch players from this state anymore.

It has been quite some time in fact since any poker room offered play to Washingtonians, and even Poker Stars and Full Tilt stopped taking players from there long before they stopped taking Americans in general. This is all unlikely to change unless it becomes regulated at some point down the road.

As of right now, the ONLY poker site only that currently accepts players from Washington is Ignition Poker and BetOnline, which is ok with us because they’re not only one of the most trusted rooms out there today, but they also provide solid cashout timeframes and soft cash game tables.

Efforts To Improve The Legal Situation Of Online Poker

Some in Washington State have argued that since poker is primarily a game of skill, it should be treated differently from other forms of gambling such as sports betting and casino games. However, this has pretty much fallen upon deaf ears, and poker continues to be treated just like any other gambling contest.

Even efforts to reduce the penalty involved for playing online poker have met with difficulty. A bill was introduced to try to decriminalize online poker playing, reducing it from a felony to a class 3 civil infraction, and setting a maximum penalty of a $50 fine, but it remains to be seen if we will ever see even this (2).

There is a view that many politicians are looking to protect the state’s land based gaming operations, which are quite extensive indeed, and they certainly stand out as far as the levels they will go to in order to prevent online gambling, including poker.

Washington though is known as a fairly permissive state where gambling is concerned though, and some have speculated that there may be a will to regulate online poker at some point down the road, although there is nothing on the horizon as of yet.

The Washington State Gambling Commission might be in favor of it though when you look closely at their position on online gambling, with all of the pitfalls they list being remedied through regulation (3).

Online Gambling Washington State Law School

So for those who live in Washington and want to play online poker, the best – and really ONLY – option is Ignition Poker. You can check out their review above the review on this page or sign up directly from this page as well.

Washington State Live Poker

There are over 50 locations that offer live poker in Washington State, and the list is in fact too numerous to mention here, although an up to date list can be found in the following reference (4).

in addition to permitting the many Indian casinos to offer poker, Washington does license card rooms in a similar fashion as California, and they used to only permit player banked games like California does, meaning that the house can’t take a percentage of the betting, but this has since changed and now they permit raked games as well (5).

These card rooms also not only offer poker for money but other card games as well such as blackjack.

The poker rooms tend to be on the smaller side although they range as high as 32 poker tables. There is quite a bit of tournament action available in addition to the cash games offered.

So in spite of the toughest laws in the country against online poker, poker players in Washington can still fairly easily find a game, due to the very large amount of places throughout the state that offer real money live poker.

Sooner or later, as the regulated online poker market in the U.S. matures, and more and more states get in on the action, the lure of the additional tax revenues involved may end up luring Washington State politicians to be more open to this idea.

References:

(1) Washington State House Of Representatives Commerce and Labor Committee, Bill Analysis, SSB 6613.

(2) Washington State Rep Wants To Decriminalize Online Poker

(3) The Washington State Gambling Commission’s Compelling Case For State Regulated Online Gambling

(4) All Live And Online Poker Rooms In Washington

(5) Casinos: Washington

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Online Gambling Washington State Laws

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Washington State Law Online Gambling

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