Washington Debates Expanding Sports Betting with College Props, More Mobile Options

Washington is one of the states to regulate mobile sports betting, but also one of the jurisdictions to impose some of the toughest local laws. Part of this has to do with the fact that sports betting is administered by tribal operators, which hold one exclusive sportsbook partner each, and players need to be on tribal land to place a bet. 

Washington Is Hoping to Zhuzh Up Sports Betting with College Options

Now, though, lawmakers are debating whether they should lift this cap and allow more mobile sportsbooks to partner with a single tribal property, potentially expanding the reach of local betting platforms.

Among the reasons why is a fear that offshore operators continue to encroach on Washington’s sports betting territory, with consumers ending up siphoned off to these websites, which fail to uphold a decent standard of consumer protection. 

In a bid to strengthen the local betting market and make it more attractive, lawmakers are also theorizing the lifting of a ban on in-state college teams, but still banning props for Washington-based athletes. 

These measures, argues Rep. Sharlett Mena, could give Washington’s gambling operators teeth and help them turf out offshore bookies by making the local market more attractive. 

One of the most appealing and perhaps riskiest changes to the proposed new measure is to have sportsbooks accept player prop bets on college athletes, but not on those that are based in the state. Mena explained the motivation behind this:

“We currently offer for professional Washington teams, but not for college Washington teams, and in the absence of a legal option, it hasn’t stopped sports betting. It’s simply pushed it into the shadows, where college sports wagering already happens through offshore and illegal markets. This bill would bring this activity into our regulatory structure.” 

The bill has a high bar to clear, as no other state currently allows tribal operators to host multiple sportsbooks, which could make Washington an outlier.

Presently, Washington’s brick-and-mortar gaming locations may partner with a mobile sportsbook, allowing them to take their offer online.

What would change is that the same property would be able to partner with multiplier sportsbooks, known as “tethering.” The tribes themselves – often seen as makers or breakers of such legislation – have expressed support for the proposal.