- Washington senators approved betting on local college teams at tribal casinos 41–8, though wagers on specific players remain banned.
- Bets must be placed in person at tribal locations, going into effect 90 days after the legislature wraps up in mid-March.
- Tribal leaders backed the measure while universities cited NCAA data showing 36% of Division I basketball players faced bettor harassment last year.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Senators in Washington gave the green light this week to legislation allowing wagers on college athletics at tribal gaming venues statewide. The measure, Senate Bill 6137, passed 41–8 on Wednesday and heads to the House next for further evaluation.
The proposed changes would allow locals to wager on competitions that would include Gonzaga University, Washington State University, and the University of Washington. At tribal gaming establishments across the state, fans may wager on the performance of teams and the outcome.
Betting Restrictions and Implementation
The law forbids placing bets on the performance of certain players. Under the plan, prop bets on particular athlete metrics, such as rebounds or points scored, would still be banned. The purpose of this prohibition is to lessen the possibility of bettors harassing student athletes.
Tribal casinos require all bets to be made in person. With no provisions for online or mobile betting, the bill upholds Washington’s current regulation that legal sports betting can only take place at physical tribal gambling establishments.
The measure would go into effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns in mid-March if it is passed by the House. According to this schedule, the 2026 NCAA basketball tournament would not provide the additional betting choices.
Support and Opposition
According to Senator Adrian Cortes, who sponsored the bill, Washington citizens now wager on college sports using gray-market apps and unregulated offshore sites. Under the proposed law, this behavior would be subject to federal, state, and tribal regulation. Voting in favor of the bill, Senator Jeff Holy described it as a suitable framework for dealing with an illegal market.
In his testimony, Ron Allen, the chair of the Washington Indian Gaming Association and the Jamestown S’klallam Tribe, defended the bill. Tribal officials point out that Washington sportsbooks would provide betting choices identical to those currently offered by Kalshi and other commodity futures trading platforms.
Concerns regarding the law have been voiced by university administrators. In his testimony against the legislation, Chris Mullick of Washington State University pointed to statistics from an NCAA poll that indicated 36% of Division I men’s basketball players had been harassed by bettors on social media over the previous 12 months. The bill was opposed by Senator Jesse Salomon, who was worried about the burden on young athletes.
