New US law: sports betting in Indian Casinos allowed

A new draft law by Jay Inslee, governor of the US state of Washington, allows Indian Casinos to offer sports betting in the future. So far, these were prohibited within the state. Sports betting will soon be allowed, but with restrictions: bets at college sports events that are held in the state of Washington are still prohibited due to the great risk of manipulation. However, the planned legalization of the sports betting only affects the gambling offer of the Indian tribes, which is pissed off by other card room casinos. They complain of a disadvantage of their position.

Political discourse regarding sports betting has been running for a long time

The political and legal push of governor Jay Inslee is not a world first, but rather is based on Role model of other US statesin which sports betting have been legalized for a long time. In front of Inslee, several other politicians already had the Legalization of sports betting required. The draft law now published received hearty criticism. The main allegation is that the law is too restrictive as a whole.

The history of the Indian Casinos: ”There are numerous so -called Indian casinos in the United States, of which there are around 400 in the country. Your total sales are several billion US dollars annually. The origin is the first bingo evenings organized by Indians in the late 1970s. The potential of gambling quickly became aware of the Indian tribes, which is why more and more tribes and reserves built casinos and casinos. The United States had no direct control over the range of gambling. After a long-term debate, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the Indian Gambling Regulation Act, was adopted by the US Congress in 1988. This law allows the Indian tribes to officially offer gambling in their reserves. In the US state of Washington alone there are 22 tribes of American indigenous people who operate a total of 29 casinos. The game offer is wide and includes classic table games such as roulette, blackjack and poker, but also the traditional bingo as well as numerous slot slot machines. Electronic lottery is also part of the game offer. So far, sports betting has not been part of it. ”

Understandably no criticism came from the Washington Indian Gaming Association. It represents the Indian casinos based in the US state. The governor’s decision to legalize sports betting was recorded here with great benevolence. Especially in the current difficult time due to the global corona pandemic the area of sports betting could help the industry recover faster. The chair of the Washington Indian Gaming Association Rebecca Kaldor commented on the draft law in the following words:

“Indian communities and governments are currently fighting with the terrible effects of coronavirus pandemic. While we recover from this crisis, this new area will help the Indian authorities to finance existential services that members need to get back on their feet. ”

Card room casinos so far without permission for sports betting

It is not surprising that the joy among those responsible for the Indian casinos is great. However, there are also other regulated gaming providers in the US state of Washington, apart from the indigenous people from the American people. So-called card room casinos, small commercial play casinos, also offer gambling. But they should continue do not receive legal permission, To offer sports betting. They are excluded from the draft law, which, for example, is upset by Maverick Gaming, a card room Casino’s company, which operates a total of 19 of the 44 concessions located in Washington.

According to a report by the “Columbian” newspaper, the company officially voted against the draft law, after all, the card room casinos were only economically threatened by the allocation of sports betting. Managing Director Eric Peon also referred to the potential annual tax revenue of $ 50 million that decreases for the state. As a independent counter-measure, Peon announced that $ 30 million Start political campaign against the draft law. He wanted to be aimed at the fact that Card Room Casinos will also receive the right to appear as a bookmaker and offer sports betting. This is the only way to keep the 2,200 employees of Maverick Gaming permanently in their employment relationship. It remains exciting whether the campaign is successful and the draft law is changed accordingly.