Ferguson signs bill allowing college sports betting at tribal casinos

Governor Bob Ferguson signed a bill Monday that expanded tribal sports betting to allow wagers placed on collegiate events.

Sports betting in Washington currently allows wagers on professional athletics, Olympic events, and esports, but now also extends to collegiate athletics at tribal casinos. Notably, wagers placed on any minor league sport, such as the Tacoma Rainiers, remain prohibited.

The bill also includes legal protections for participants. Anyone who makes a threat against a coach or official involved in an athletic event in Washington could face gross misdemeanor charges.

“During a time when online hate and harassment are on the rise, it’s more important than ever that we protect student athletes by properly regulating sports betting on college sports in our state,” State Sen. Adrian Cortes (D-Battle Ground) said Monday, according to The Seattle Times.

The executive director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association, Rebecca George, praised the decision and noted Washington is choosing clarity during a time when regulation has been fuzzy.

“This bill strengthens a model that protects consumers and respects tribal sovereignty, ensuring that any wagering happens within a framework that has worked for decades,” George said Monday, according to The Seattle Times. “At a time when new products are trying to blur the lines around what is and isn’t gambling, Washington is choosing clarity.”

Amendments target harassment, individual performance wagers

Two amendments were also added to the bill by State Rep. Chris Stearns (D-Auburn), who pushed for an anti-harassment provision that strengthens protections for student-athletes, coaches, and officials, as well as a ban on prop bets involving players, coaches, and officials.

The new law, Senate Bill 6137, prohibits prop bets on specific player performance, in-game decisions made by coaches — including player substitutions and timeouts — and officiating decisions, such as fouls and rulings.

A prop bet is when a wager is made on the specific performance of a specific athlete, whether it be their points, assists, or minutes played, among countless other statistics.

“Sports betting should never put athletes or officials at risk,” Stearns said via social media on March 10. “These changes help protect the integrity of the game and the people who make sports possible.”

Senate Bill 6137 will go into effect 90 days after the adjournment of the session in which the bill was passed.

The bill’s signing comes on the heels of a recent lawsuit filed by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown against Kalshi, an exchange and prediction market, alleging that the company violated the state’s anti-gambling laws.

The full guidelines for sports wagering requirements and rules in Washington can be found here.

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