Sports Betting in Washington – Everything you need to know

There are a number of sportsbooks in Washington state where you may place your bets.

Rankings and ratings of the best sports betting websites that take wagers from residents of Washington State, as well as a full description of legal gambling choices in the state, are included in this guide to sports betting in Washington.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Washington State?

Yes, but only if you plan on placing a wager in person at a sportsbook. Sports wagering has been permitted in 16 tribal casinos in Washington State since 2021. The US Department of the Interior authorized a new list of compacts that included nine additional tribes. There are seven Native American tribes still waiting for the Department of the Interior to ratify their new compacts.

He originally announced his support for allowing sports betting in 2020 when he was elected governor. Federally-recognized Indian tribes could begin selling in-person sports betting in June 2021 after a law was enacted by the state legislature.

Betting applications can be offered by physical bookmakers, but only while you’re on the premises of the venue; the app won’t operate outside of certain regions. There will be no sports betting for citizens of Washington who can’t travel to one of the tribal casinos for any reason.

Online Sportsbooks

Internet sportsbooks are explicitly exempt from the existing prohibition on all forms of online gambling in Washington State. If you’re in a designated tribal casino site next year, you’ll be able to legally place bets on sports using kiosks or your phone.

Offshore internet sportsbooks will take your wagers, however, even those are unlawful in light of the laws governing gambling in the state of Washington (WA). The introduction of retail sports betting in Washington State suggests that the state’s legislature is gradually becoming more tolerant of gambling. However, there are currently no specific plans in place for online operations.

There are loads of good and reliable resources out there for bettors who want to start betting. For example, this list of the best Washington State sports betting sites is a great place to start. It includes reviews of the best sportsbooks and detailed information about the legality of sports betting in the state.

Offshore Betting in Washington State

Only a few states explicitly ban internet gambling with an offshore sportsbook in Washington. This means that using any of the suggested betting sites would be breaching local regulations, which might result in fines. But as far as we know, this rule isn’t being followed, and we haven’t heard of any Washington citizens being arrested for using an offshore sportsbook to sign up, deposit, or wager from within the state.

Washington DC Sports Betting

Washington State, on the other hand, has allowed sports betting in recent years as well. In May 2020, their legal market will be open to the public. Gambit DC, a state-run sports betting app, is available to anybody in the city to place bets on a variety of sporting events.

During the launch of the Gambet DC app, Intralot was involved in several litigations and other complications. As it turned out in the first year of legal sports betting in the District of Columbia, in-person venues outpaced the mobile app by a wide margin. Gambit was expected to bring in about $7 million in its first year of business, but it only managed to pull in a little over $300,000.

Even so, the Gambit DC app’s user experience will only become better from here on out. Sports bettors in the District of Columbia may take advantage of a wide choice of high-quality, totally legal sports betting options, both online and off.

Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in Washington State?

Not at all, unfortunately. State law prohibits daily fantasy sports, like offshore betting. Even if a player is physically located in a tribal casino, this limitation applies. It’s a shame, given the majority of states in the US have either approved DFS competitions or haven’t made a decision on the subject. 2019 and 2020 saw a number of failed attempts to legalize DFS.

Online Casinos

Online gambling of any kind is prohibited in the state of Washington. Certain websites were blocked from being accessed through the internet because of a restriction on disseminating gambling information online. In the near future, this appears to be the case as well. While offshore web casinos are also prohibited by the state, officials appear to be ignoring this limitation and failing to properly enforce it.”

There is no evidence to suggest that Washington State officials would follow New Jersey, Michigan, or Delaware in legalizing online gambling in the future.

How Gambling is Taxed in Washington State

All sources of income, including gambling winnings bet with gift cards, are taxed equally in Washington State. There is no state income tax in Washington, therefore only federal taxes are due as of 2021. 24 percent of earnings will be withheld and sent to the IRS on your behalf by the gambling businesses you play at. Withholding tax of up to 28% is possible when the casino does not have your SSN on file. It is important that you list your gambling winnings on your tax return.

No taxes are withheld by the leading offshore sportsbooks for Washington State in the US.

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.