Washington online sports betting laws

Washington’s state governor Jay Inslee signed bill ESHB 2638 into law in March 2020, making the Evergreen State the 21st to legalize sports betting.

This represented a massive step for a state which is known as one of the strictest when it comes to the legalization of gambling activities. Steps are now under way to launch Washington sports betting, which should go live by the end of 2021.

Under the terms of the enabling legislation, sports betting will be allowed in the state’s 29 tribal casinos. Before sports betting can begin at the casinos, however, additional steps, including updating the tribal compacts with the state, need to happen.

There was a bill launched in February 2021, SB 5212, which would have allowed sports betting at cardrooms and racetracks as well as casinos. That bill died in committee, however.

The casinos in Washington are owned and run by 22 different local tribes. For any of them to offer sports betting facilities, they need to renegotiate their compacts with the state. In June 2021, the Washington State Gambling Commission approved the compact amendments that were submitted by 15 of the tribes to allow sports wagering. Now these amendments will be sent for approval by the state’s governor and the federal government – steps that must be completed before sports wagering can begin.

Under the terms of the new legislation, online sports betting will not be permitted. Sports wagering will be restricted to bettors who are physically present at casinos, rather than on a remote basis.

Yes, they will. The IRS has made it clear that winnings from all forms of gambling are seen as taxable income.

It will be important that you keep a record of all your winnings and losses from sports betting and include them in your tax return. Sportsbooks in other states are obliged to keep records too and submit them to the IRS. It is important that their records tally with yours.

It is anticipated that the minimum age for Washington sports betting will be 18, in line with the current rules at the majority of casinos in the state. However, it should be noted that the casinos have the authority to raise the minimum age to 21 when alcohol is served, so it is advised to confirm the minimum age before arriving at one of these casinos to place a sports wager.

Under the terms of the law permitting Washington sports betting, it is anticipated that mobile betting will not be allowed. The enabling legislation provides that wagers may be placed and accepted at a tribe’s gaming facility only, while the customer placing the wager is physically present on the premises of that tribe’s gaming facility.

One condition of the legislation currently being brought to fruition is that there must be no betting on matches involving the state’s college teams. This is highly relevant in Washington, which has five college programs with teams playing in Division 1 of the NCAA.

Like in every other state in the US, no sportsbook operating in the state of Washington will be able to take bets on elections – local, national, or international.