Tribal casinos could offer regulated wagers on sports and esports

A federally recognized tribe may ask to amend its state gaming compact to conduct sports wagering on Indian lands. The provision applies to federally recognized Indian tribes in Washington and their Indian lands. The compact amendment must address licensing, regulatory fees, how wagering operates, criminal enforcement, information sharing, sports integrity, and responsible or problem gambling. The wagering must be conducted under a class III gaming compact and is treated as authorized bookmaking under the text. The authorization applies when a tribe and the state enter a qualifying compact amendment.

Internet transmission of gambling information may support tribal sports wagering, but the customer must place and accept the wager at a tribal gaming facility. The rule covers sports wagering operated under the stated tribal compact provisions and customers placing wagers at a tribe’s gaming facility. The customer must be physically present on the premises when placing the wager. The in-person location requirement applies when the wager is placed and accepted.

People may not offer anything valuable to influence a sporting event, use nonpublic influence information for wagering, or threaten people involved in a wagered event. The restrictions cover sporting, athletic, and competition events on which a wager may be made, including threats against sports officials, coaches, and participants. A threat must be knowingly related to a wager and must threaten bodily injury or property damage, or create reasonable fear of such harm. Words do not violate the threat rule when it is apparent that the person cannot carry out the threat. Influencing an event is a class C felony; covered threats are gross misdemeanors; a person convicted of a covered threat may not place sports wagers. The wagering ban applies after conviction for a covered threat offense.

The rules define sports wagering to include bets on professional, college, Olympic or international, and esports events, including parts or combinations of those events. Horse racing and minor league sports are excluded; bets may not target named Washington college participants, in-game decisions by Washington college coaches, or officiating decisions in Washington college events. A collegiate event must be connected to a public or private institution offering education beyond high school. An esports event must be a live public event or tournament where players or teams compete in real time for prizes.