Stillaguamish and Kalispel tribes launch betting in Washington State
Three tribal casinos in Washington State now offer sports betting after the Stillaguamish and Kalispel tribes joined Snoqualmie Casino in launching a sportsbook.
The Stillaguamish Tribe’s Angel of the Winds Casino and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians’ Northern Quest Casino are now both offering retail and mobile on premise betting.
The Stillaguamish sportsbook, which launched on 1 December, is powered by International Game Technology's PlaySports platform. The supplier is also providing technology for the Kalispel Tribe's offering.
These are the second and third tribal casinos to launch sports betting since 16 tribes agreed compact agreements with the Washington State Gambling Commission earlier this year.
The agreements concerned an amendment to Class III sports wagering compacts for each of the tribes, to cover betting at their properties.
This was permitted after Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2638 into law in March 2020, allowing in-person sports betting at Class III tribal casinos.
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe was the first to launch betting in the state, beginning at its Snoqualmie Casino when sports betting was first became legal in September.
It is expected that more tribes will launch sports betting in the coming months.
“The launch of sports betting this week at a second and third tribal casino in Washington State is an important development for Washington State’s tribes, which rely on gaming revenues to fund essential services for tribal communities and are a critical piece of tribes’ ongoing work to build tribal communities and strengthen self-reliance,” said Rebecca George, executive director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association.
“The Washington State legislature’s 2020 decision, with a bipartisan supermajority, to approve sports betting at tribal casinos is further vindicated by this week’s developments.”