Washington state´s tribal casinos get final federal approval for sports wagering

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs approved sports gambling compact amendments for the Puyallup, Tulalip, Snoqualmie, Spokane, Cowlitz, Squaxin, Suquamish, Stillaguamish and Lummi tribes, while applications by Muckleshoot, Swinomish, Skokomish, Kalispel, Jamestown S’Klallam, Shoalwater Bay and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are still pending. Despite the approvals, tribes are still in the process of finalizing vendors to help carry out the sports gambling and won’t have them ready for several more weeks.

Several tribes are in the process of finalizing vendors and other steps to help carry out the sports gambling, and some may be ready by opening week of the NFL season.

The Washington State Gambling Commission in late July gave final approval to sports gambling proposals outlined by tribes, hoping to have everything in place by the Sept. 9 NFL season opener. Native American tribes see the NFL season as a prime source of sports gambling revenue at a time their communities — badly hit by COVID-19 shortfalls — need additional money to provide various health, education and other social services.

“We’ve worked diligently with the Washington State Gambling Commission, the Snoqualmie Gaming Commission and our vendors for them to submit license applications and are currently on track for the opening week of the 2021 NFL season,” Stanford Le, president and CEO of the Snoqualmie Casino, said in an email after Wednesday’s announcement.

Rebecca George, executive director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association — which promotes the benefits of tribal gaming — said the approval represents a landmark, critical step. A statement issued by George after Wednesday’s approval said regulated sports betting at tribal casinos should begin “in the next few months,” but in a subsequent interview she stopped short of specifying a time frame.