It wasn’t that long ago that sports betting in Washington State was passed. That legislation, however, restricts the activity to Tribal casinos. Now, the push is on to expand the activity to card rooms in the state… a move that supporters say will add jobs and tax revenue.
The bill has come out of the state Senate and is backed by the Nevada-based Maverick Gaming. They are the same company that backed a similar bill last year. That legislation ultimately came up short of their goal, however.
Tribal gaming interests in the state are naturally opposed to expanding sports wagers beyond their establishments. They contend the bill will take money away from tribes who use the revenues to fund operations and social programs.
State Senator Curtis King of Yakima disagreed, saying “This is about fairness… We need to share the wealth. We need to take care of the state of Washington as well.”
You can read more about sports betting in Washington at Oregon Public Broadcasting.