House Bill 2205 Would Enable More Widespread Sports Betting

Washington is among the 39 US states that offer legal and regulated sports betting. However, the sports betting provided is among the most restrictive in any state.

Washington approved sports betting in 2020. Since that approval was granted, 18 tribes have implemented a sports betting system in their casinos. Only five of those sports betting sites currently allow on-site mobile betting.

Sports bettors in Washington can place online wagers. To do so, though, they must be physically present within the walls of a tribal gaming facility in the state. And while there, bettors are only legally permitted to place bets with that tribe’s sportsbook partner.

House Bill 2205 proposes to eliminate such restrictions. If passed into law, the bill would authorize any tribe with a sports betting license to conduct and operate sports wagering on tribal lands.

It would also permit bettors to place bets with any licensed online sportsbook in Washington, as long as they were situated on tribal land while doing so. Washington is one of five states that limit sports betting to tribal lands. If HB 2205 is passed into law, it would be the first state to permit multiple online sportsbooks to operate on the same tribal land.

Proponents of the bill insist that these changes are necessary if Washington sports betting is to keep pace with offshore sports betting sites and the fast-growing sports event prediction market sites.

The bill was introduced in the state legislature on January 12. HB 2205 has bipartisan support, with six Democrats and two Republicans among its eight co-sponsors. It is currently being debated before the Government Affairs Committee. The first committee hearing took place on January 16.

While certainly baby steps in comparison to the wide-open online sports betting offered in most states, Democrat Rep. Sharlett Mena, one of the co-sponsors of HB 2205, believes even further wide-open sports betting could be offered at some point in Washington’s future.

“I think this is an initial step to try to catch up with the market,” Mena said during Friday’s committee hearing. “There may be more down the line.”

Changes to college sports betting are also part of HB 2205

Beyond the changes to the ability to place sports bets included in the bill, HB 2205 also includes some proposed alterations to college sports betting.

Currently, placing wagers on college sports involving in-state universities such as the Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars, or Gonzaga Bulldogs is prohibited. If passed into law, HB 2205 would permit sports wagering on collegiate events that involve an educational institution located within Washington.

At the same time, HB 2205 prohibits prop wagering based on the performance or nonperformance of any college athletes playing at an educational institution that is located within Washington.

However, you would be able to place prop bets on college teams that are from outside the state of Washington.

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