With the NFL football season now up and running, September 14th 2021 saw the Snoqualmie tribe become the first in the State of Washington to go live with its approved sports betting operation. A further eight Washington state tribes have received approval from the Interior Department and will begin to offer sports betting in the coming weeks and months. And another seven Washington State tribes are awaiting approval for their revised tribal compacts.
Rebecca George, Executive Director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA), commented: “Today’s commencement of sports betting at the Snoqualmie tribe’s casino marks an important milestone in the progress that Washington State’s tribes have made in regaining self-reliance. The Snoqualmie announcement is just the first; 15 other tribes are expected to begin offering sports betting at their casinos in upcoming weeks and months. The launch of sports betting is going to provide a real boost for tribal communities that are still working to recover from the tough impacts of COVID shutdowns. And the positive benefits will extend well beyond tribal communities themselves. Tribal gaming revenues not only fund critical services for long-underserved tribal communities, but those revenues also bolster the overall economies of communities across Washington State.”
