Washington State Gambling Commission – Legal Games & WA Gaming Regulation
Gambling in the state of Washington is a popular topic among many gamblers who want to try their luck on classic games, such as slot machines, roulette or poker tables. You can play these games legally only in the tribal casinos. All other types of gambling, including online wagering, are prohibited by the Washington State Gambling Commission.
Of course, there are a few exceptions, such as pari-mutuel betting, lotteries and charitable bingo, and we will tell you more about them in this blog post about the Washington gambling commission! We will also provide you with top recommendations of tribal casinos where you can play your favorite games 100% safely and legally. Check out the following boxes, which would take you to the main topics in this blog post about the Washington State Gambling Commission (also known as WSGC) or keep reading to the end if you don’t want to miss something.
Washington Gambling Commission – Roles & Functions
First things first: what is the role of the WA gambling commission? The answer is easy because almost every state has a ‘local’ organization that is responsible for the regulation of the gaming sector in the state. For The Evergreen State – it is the Washington State Gambling Commission. It is the main organization that takes care of all gambling-related matters in the state, including and not limited to:
- Accepts applications for sports wagering license.
- Investigates applicants for gaming licenses and their gambling establishments.
- Applies the regulatory statutes by The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
- Law enforcement and regulatory fieldwork with tribal representatives.
- Helps licensees to file quarterly and other reports.
- Assists businesses in filling out the forms they need to apply for a gambling license.
- Organizes public meetings.
Yet, these are only the main roles and responsibilities of the WSGC. You can find all the other essential information on the official website of the commission. In brief, to operate a gaming establishment in WA, you need to have a Washington State Gambling Commission license. To do so, you will need to apply by filling out the right forms, and then it is up to the decision of the commission. Once the Washington State Gambling Commission background check is complete, they should contact you to give you details on how to proceed further.
WSGC Regulation and Legal Gambling Games in WA
Now, let’s continue this blog post about the Gambling Commission Washington State with more details about the legal types of games that you can play. The WSGC regulates not only tribal gaming but also all other forms of gambling in the state. We will tell you more about them, and we will also recommend to you some of the best tribal casinos where you can play legally. So, stay tuned!
Regulation of Casinos
The gambling laws in Washington State allow only land-based tribal casinos. Nowadays, there are 27 such gaming establishments operated by the Washington Tribes, while the number and variety of games that you can find there are, simply put, numerous. There are all kinds of legal games in the land-based casinos, such as slot terminals, poker, and other classic table games, while you can buy tickets for the Washington Lottery as well.
These casinos have a Washington State Gambling Commission license, but their games are connected to different tribal gaming agencies. Check out the following table with our top recommendations for casinos where you can enjoy a top-notch Vegas-style gambling experience.
| Legal Casino in WA | Gaming Machines | Location | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muckleshoot Casino | 3000 slot machines, table games, lottery, off-track betting | 2402 Auburn Way S, Auburn | www.muckleshootcasino.com |
| Tulalip Resort Casino | 2400 slot machines, 37 table games, poker room, bingo | 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd, Tulalip | www.tulalipresortcasino.com |
| Emerald Queen Casino | 2100 slot machines, 60 table games | 2920 E R St, Tacoma | www.emeraldqueen.com |
| Snoqualmie Casino | 1700 slot machines, 54 table games, poker, sportsbook | 37500 SE North Bend Way, Snoqualmie | www.snocasino.com |
| Northern Quest Resort & Casino | 1600 slot machines, 37 table games, 9 poker tables, a keno parlour, racebook | 100 N Hayford Rd, Airway Heights | www.northernquest.com |
As you can see, players in these establishments can play many other games allowed by the WA state gambling commission. Examples include jackpot and instant-win games, house-banked card games, keno and off-track betting. You can also take advantage of plenty of other amenities in these casinos, including luxury accommodations and restaurants, sports bars, membership cards, and the list goes on. The Washington gambling commission does not allow any casino sites, and even playing on international online platforms is banned.
On the other hand, you can find all the legal games in land-based casinos. There are also legal poker rooms in these tribal casinos, as well as in non-tribal establishments. You can also buy tickets for different lotteries and even play bingo. Just make sure not to do it over the internet, as it is considered a felony at the moment. Hopefully, this will change shortly as there are many recent efforts to legalise online gambling in Washington, such as the online poker bill of Rep. Sherry Appleton (D) from 2018.
Regulation of Sports Betting
Pari-mutuel wagering is legal in licensed facilities, such as the Washington tribal casinos mentioned above. This type of betting follows different rules from the establishments regulated by the Washington State Gambling Commission. The Washington Horse Racing Commission is the responsible organization, and it was established in March 1933 and, nowadays, all the funds received by pari-mutuel betting go to support horse racing at the non-profit Class C race meets.
It is important to know that online sports betting is not allowed, as is DFS. It is a felony to play at an offshore online sportsbook, and the daily fantasy sites make no exception. Many top DFS operators do not offer their services in the Evergreen State, and there is no clear sign that this could change in the future. The lawmakers already passed several bills that classify daily fantasy contests as games of skill, but none of them is approved. That being said, here is a short table of the legal status of the different types of sports betting by the Washington gambling commission.
| Sports Betting Type | Legal Status |
|---|---|
| Off-Track Betting | ✔️ Legal |
| Pari-Mutuel Horse Race Betting | ✔️ Legal |
| Racebook | ✔️ Legal |
| Advance-Deposit Wagering | ✔️ Legal |
| Sports Pools | 🚫 Gray Market |
| On-Track Betting | 🚫 Gray Market |
| Online Sportsbook | ❌ Illegal |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | ❌ Illegal |
There is one very interesting type of sports betting, and it includes advance deposit wagering. It was legalised in 2004 (RCW 67.16.260) and the Washington Horse Racing Commission is the responsible organization for the licensing and regulation of the featured operators. There are also two horse racing tracks in Washington but remember that the best piece of advice is to avoid betting online!
Games That Are Illegal According to the WSGC
All types of internet gambling in Washington State are banned via Senate Bill 6613, introduced by Sen. Margarita Prentice (D) in 2006. This means that it is illegal, according to the Washington State Gambling Commission to transmit or receive any gambling information over the internet. This includes and not only: online casinos, online poker sites, online sportsbooks, and daily fantasy sites. You can find all the other details in Section 9 of Washington statutes. Here is a list of the illegal gambling games in the state of Washington.
| Game Type | Legal Status |
|---|---|
| Online Casinos | ❌ Illegal |
| Online Sportsbook | ❌ Illegal |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | ❌ Illegal |
| Offshore Sites | ❌ Illegal |
| Social Gaming Sites | ❌ Illegal |
| Sellers of Virtual Chips | ❌ Illegal |
It is considered a felony even if players choose to gamble online at an international (offshore) gambling operator. So, make sure to avoid these types of games even in a casino that has a Washington State Gambling Commission license and you should not have problems with the legislation.
Hopefully, things will change in the future, and residents will be allowed to play at the best US online casinos, such as Borgata or Caesars Palace Casino. Anyway, if you play in a land-based casino, there are also important things to be considered, such as the legal gambling age in Washington state, and we will tell you more about that next.
Legal Gambling Age According to the WSGC
The legal gambling age in Washington is 18, and underage gambling is illegal. However, please keep in mind that the legal age for drinking alcohol is 21, so you can often find casinos that will not allow gamblers below this age to enter their gambling premises because they also serve alcoholic drinks. It is punishable by the Washington gambling laws to play gambling games under 18, and it also includes significant risk of problem gambling and addiction. That’s why you must be sure that you are 18 or above before you visit a casino in Washington.
WA Gambling Commission: FAQ
This blog post about the WSGC and the gambling laws in Washington State is at the end, so last but not least, we would like to present to you a short FAQ section. It includes important questions about the Washington State Gambling Commission, so check them out carefully if you want to stay on the legal side!
