Small But Important Changes Coming To Washington Betting Scene

This usually surprises folks, but yes, betting in Washington is legal. It’s been a fully legal sports betting market for years now, albeit with some heavy restrictions.

Only Native American tribes are allowed to offer betting in-state — casino and sports betting alike. The gambling must happen on their native land, too, it’s not accessible statewide online. This effectively puts a limit on sports betting apps. They exist, but again, in a very constrained manner.

But… things are changing. Sort of. There’s a bill that’s waiting to be signed by Washington Governor Bob Ferguson (who ironically shares a name with Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in One Battle After Another). If and when signed, it’ll make subtle changes to the industry that opens up access. Keep on reading and we’ll tell you all about it!

College Sports Betting Is Back On

Across the country, the trend is there to be less college sports betting, not more. Well, Washington is bucking the trend. Kinda. The Senate accepted changes made to SB 6137 that included updates to the betting industry — not necessarily new creations. This change, though, was very surprising.

As it stands, Washington bettors can NOT bet on college sports involving local teams. That means powerhouses like Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars are off limits to bettors. But this bill change would flip the script and make them bet-able for the first time.

Not all Washington-based college sports bets, though. Three such bets would remain illegal — player props, in-game decisions from coaches, and officiating outcomes. But things like spreads or over/unders would be allowed for in-state schools.

Banning those three bets is actually what’s become consensus across the country. It’s a response to the scandals we’ve seen breakout among not just collegiate athletes, but even pro ones (looking at you, the NBA). Earlier this year, 26 people were indicted in a point-shaving scandal in college basketball. The sport has been a magnet for illegal betting rings.

Basketball is prone to it because players can easily control their output — unlike, say, football which is so dependent on factors. Plus, college players are more susceptible to taking bribes. Unless they’re making big-time NIL money, shady figures can bribe lowly players more marginal amounts of money.

A slew of states of now banned player props on college sports. Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, just to name a few. And Washington is staying in-line there.

Harassing Players About Betting Is Now A Crime

Alright, now this change inside the bill really, really caught us off guard. Anyone who’s used social media is well aware that harassing players and coaches over betting outcomes is everywhere online, and we mean everywhere. Betting has gamified real people, where many people only see them through a betting lens. “You didn’t score a touchdown so now my parlay is toast — it’s all your fault.”

But in a shocking twist, SB 6137 would criminalize such harassment. Under the updated language, anyone who threatens a player, coach, or referee over a bet could be charged with a gross misdemeanor and permanently banned from betting in the state. What constitutes harassment, you ask? According to the bill, it has to involve bodily harm or damage to property. For charges to stick, the person on the receiving end has to reasonably believe the threat could actually be carried out.

“Threatening words do not constitute a violation of this subsection (2)(a) if it is apparent to the sports official, coach, or participant that the person does not have the present and future ability to carry out the threat,” the bill reads.

This is a bombshell. Bombshell because we’ve never seen any other state take an action like this. Honestly, it begs the question: is this constitutionally legal? After all, the First Amendment says the government can not restrict speech.

But… multiple Supreme Court rulings have ruled that threats are NOT protected by the First Amendment. This goes back to the days of the Ku Klux Klan, believe it or not. So yes, if signed by the governor, this rule will stick constitutionally. Bettors need to know they can’t threaten players, coaches, and refs anymore.

Tribes Get More Access To Betting

The third change from the bill is more marginal compared to the first two, but it’s still notable. If passed, tribal sportsbooks get more space to operate.

You see, right now, the law says a tribe can offer sports betting only on its land. The new proposal removes that possessive language, which opens the door for tribes with sportsbooks to potentially take bets on land belonging to another tribe. The bill swaps “that” for “a” tribe’s casino, a small wording shift that could give tribes more flexibility in how betting is offered across different tribal properties.

Now the question becomes: will Murphy sign off on bill’s changes? From when the bill hit his desk (which might’ve been mid-March), he has 20 days to sign it or veto.

Everyone fully expects him to sign the bill without issue. We mean, there’s nothing landmark in it besides some minor adjustments so why wouldn’t he? So if you’re in Washington, get familiar with these three changes. They will become the new normal inside the state.