Washington state boasts some of the toughest gambling regulations in the nation. Online gambling has long been prohibited while horse race betting is only allowed at approved racetracks and OTB parlors.
Washington state is home to 28 regulated tribal casinos offering class III gaming such as slot machines and poker. These establishments are overseen by the Washington State Gambling Commission.
Legality
Washington does not permit online gambling; however, lottery and sports betting at tribal casinos are permitted. Furthermore, Washington prohibits financial exploitation of vulnerable adults; this includes using or withholding their property, income, resources or trust funds for any unlawful purpose – such as gambling activities.
Washington’s legislature approved a law in 2021 allowing sports betting at tribal casinos and prohibiting daily fantasy sports (DFS) sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel from accepting players residing within Washington state.
Washington’s state legislature also prohibited online poker and other forms of gambling such as slot machines, video poker, video pull tabs and pachinko machines – among them slot machines, video poker, video pull tabs and pachinko or pachislo machines – and any violation is punishable with up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine; yet no one has ever been prosecuted for playing casino-style gambling in Washington for real money.
Regulation
Washington State has very stringent gambling laws. Online poker gambling is illegal, while lottery and state-licensed sports betting sites are the only legal options available to people in Washington State. While other states have made strides toward legalizing this industry, Washington remains uninterested in changing online gambling laws; as a result, offshore gambling websites tend to steer clear of Washington altogether.
However, California allows charitable bingo, pull-machine gambling, raffles and sports wagering. Indian reservations also have the right to operate casinos that feature slot machines, off track betting and skill games such as poker and blackjack.
However, providing platforms that facilitate real-money gambling remains a Class C felony in Missouri and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults is illegal under state law if used or withheld for personal gain at their personal benefit or advantage. Furthermore, underage gambling is strictly forbidden within Missouri state borders.
Taxes
Washington state remains unclear on how it views online gambling, though its prevalence is on the rise. Land-based casinos have seen increased revenues while some players have turned to online platforms as an easier, more cost-effective and round-the-clock way of gambling.
Washington’s current laws forbid online gambling, yet lawmakers have shown little enthusiasm to change these restrictions. Legal sports betting can only be found at tribal casinos. A lawsuit filed by Maverick Gaming against Washington state lawmakers in 2020 may pave the way for regulated online sports betting in Washington state.
Sports wagering winnings may also be subject to federal taxes, similar to casino winnings. As soon as you provide your Social Security Number, your winnings could be subject to a 25% withholding tax similar to what would apply when winning lottery or other forms of gambling.
Offshore sites
Though Washington law prohibits online gambling, offshore sites continue to provide real-money casino games and betting options for Washington players. They provide various payment methods – including cryptocurrency like Dogecoin, Litecoin, and Bitcoin which offer decentralized, secure payments with low transaction fees – in addition to popular deposit/withdrawal methods like Neteller and Skrill which offer instant transfers.
Washington state does not permit for any gray area in its gaming laws; gambling online and social casinos are forbidden by law and any provision of platforms where gambling occurs constitutes a class C felony, leading many online casinos to bar residents of Washington from playing their games.