Sports betting in the state of Washington was first legalized in 2020. However, it was restricted to retail sportsbooks in the state’s extensive network of land-based tribal casinos. In total, there are 28 tribal casinos up and running in Washington at this time.
The Confederated Tribes of Colville Reservation offers gaming under the brand name 12 Tribes Colville Casinos. These casino gaming venues are located in Central Washington. Through a new agreement with International Game Technology (IGT), the tribe’s three casino locations will soon offer legal retail sportsbooks.
Jump to12 Tribes Colville Casinos Sports Betting Plans
Tony Posey is the COO of 12 Tribes Colville Casinos. As part of an official press release, he added the following comments on the new partnership with IGT:
“Thanks to IGT we feel confident in our ability to provide our guests with an exciting and secure sports betting environment and we look forward to opening our doors to sports enthusiasts soon.”
The press release did not mention a set launch date for the three IGT retail sportsbooks at 12 Tribes Colville Casinos locations. However, a logical target date would be early September ahead of the new football season.
The three casino locations are 12 Tribes Omak Casino Hotel in Omak, 12 Tribes Lake Chelan Casino in Mason and 12 Tribes Coulee Dam Casino in Coulee Dam.
This new partnership is also huge boost for IGT as it pertains to the company’s sports betting technology. Coming off an impressive first quarter performance with revenue of $1.1 billion, IGT remains a force in the global gaming industry.
IGT is based in the UK with US offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and Providence, Rhode Island. Over the past few years, the company has made a concerted effort to forge inroads into the legal US gaming industry.
In May of this year, IGT announced that it had formed a multi-product systems technology agreement with Harrington Raceway and Casino in Delaware. Backed by the IGT ADVANTAGE casino management system, Harrington has plans to upgrade is casino gaming floor.
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A Test to Washington’s Tribal Gaming Industry
Adding legal sports betting to the gaming options offered by Washington’s tribal casino network was a big step in the right direction. However, amending the tribal compacts with Governor Jay Inslee in March of 2020 did not come without dispute.
Cardroom operator Maverick Gaming questioned the legality of a decades-old monopoly on gaming by the tribes. Maverick’s lawsuit on the matter challenged the tribes’ exclusivity on a number of gaming activities as a result of the addition of legal sports betting.
The original lawsuit was filed against the State of Washington in February of this year. In the month of May, a federal judge in Washington DC decided to transfer the matter to the Western District of Washington State. Maverick Gaming is based out of the Seattle area.
The Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) has reiterated its support of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). Enacted on Oct. 17, 1988, the IGRA was passed by the United States Congress to regulate gaming on US tribal lands.