Mobile Sports Betting Launches Inside Washington State Tribal Casino
@jdtomlin68
A tribal casino in Washington, not far from the sports-crazed city of Seattle, launched the first mobile sports betting option in the state this week.
But the sports betting is only available for patrons inside the Snoqualmie Casino.
The casino, about 25 miles west of Seattle, is the first in the Evergreen State to offer online sports wagering of any kind.
Technology Powering Washington Mobile Sportsbook
This year, the Snoqualmie Tribe reached a deal with International Gaming Technology to provide sportsbook services at the casino.
The Snoqualmie was one of several tribes cleared for retail sports betting in Washington after the state’s casinos received approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior. They began accepting bets in September.
Now the Snoqualmie Casino, using IGT’s on-premise mobile product, PinPoint, allows customers to use their mobile devices to place sports wagers within the casino.
“To permit patrons to wager from within the Snoqualmie Casino and its immediate surroundings, while excluding areas like their convenience store, is a complex geolocation requirement that is made possible by our PinPoint technology,” PinPoint general manager Sam Basile said in a news release. “We are excited to be part of this new chapter of gaming in Washington State.”
Customers now can make their wagers without going to one of the casino’s kiosks. Mobile wagering also allows for in-play betting.
“We look forward to introducing the convenience and enhanced user offering of mobile sports betting as the newest addition to our resort guest experience,” casino president and CEO Stanford Le said in the release.
Other Washington Tribes Taking Sports Betting Action
As sports betting at tribal casinos gains momentum, some big-name players in the U.S. sportsbook market are making arrangements to join in.
In September, FanDuel Sportsbook agreed to partner with the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort to provide a retail sports wagering option.
The Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort is about 15 miles from Seattle, a short ferry ride away on the other side of Bainbridge Island.
In another step for sports wagering, BetMGM agreed to a deal with the Puyallup Tribe, which has two casinos in Tacoma.
There are no online casino options in the state of Washington. There is also no true mobile sports betting market, because folks have to be inside a casino to place a wager.
If Washington adopts an open, competitive, regulated mobile sports betting market down the road, the state will surely reap the benefits that other western states such as Colorado, Arizona and even Wyoming have done since launching similar programs (Coloradoans place 98%-99% of their wagers online every month, while Wyoming’s nascent market is all mobile).
The Evergreen State would no doubt be a great online sports betting market considering the interest in the NFL’s Seahawks, MLB’s Mariners, the Sounders of Major League Soccer and the NHL’s newest expansion team, the Seattle Kraken. Add in Washington and Washington State in the Pac-12 and perennial college basketball powerhouse Gonzaga, and it’s a recipe for success – if state law allows it.
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Jim Tomlin has more than 30 years of experience in sports journalism as an editor and writer. He has covered pro and college sports from football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, motorsports and more for publications such as the Tampa Bay Times, SaturdayDownSouth.com, SaturdayTradition.com and FanRag Sports. He now lends his expertise to TopUSCasinos.com, among other duties.
