The Washington Senate approved legislation that would permit wagering on in-state college teams at tribal casinos, passing the measure 41-8 and sending it to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The bill would allow bets on the outcomes of games involving colleges based in Washington. Wagering on individual athlete performance would remain prohibited.
The measure would take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns in mid-March. As a result, betting would not be available during this year’s NCAA basketball tournament, including games involving the Gonzaga Bulldogs men’s basketball.
Representatives of several tribes testified in support during a January 22 committee hearing. Ron Allen, chair of the Jamestown S’klallam Tribe and head of the Washington Indian Gaming Association, told lawmakers that comparable wagers are already occurring through commodity futures trading markets.
Kevin Zenishek, executive director of casino operations at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, said the bill “builds on the commonsense framework for tribal sports betting” previously established by lawmakers.
“With the current state of the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission), which you’ve heard about in previous testimony, and with apps like Kalshi at the federal level, you can place a wager now in Washington state on the Huskies, the Cougs, or the Zags,” Zenishek said.
Bill sponsor state Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, said residents are already placing bets through “illicit or gray market avenues.”
“Tribal gaming has some of the strongest regulatory standards in the country, with three levels of regulations, which include tribal, state, and federal,” Cortes said.
Officials from the University of Washington and Washington State University urged lawmakers to retain the prohibition on wagers tied to individual athletes.
“Our focus is on the safety of our students,” said Morgan Hickel, director of state relations at the University of Washington, adding that maintaining the ban on wagers on a specific player’s performance is important to universities.
Chris Mullick, senior director of state relations at Washington State University, testified against the legislation. He cited a November survey of 6,800 student athletes conducted by the NCAA that found 36% of Division I men’s basketball players reported social media harassment from bettors in the past year, while 29% reported in-person interactions.
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing in this bill but trouble for WSU and our student athletes, who are incredibly accessible, both on campus and online,” Mullick said. “This is a real problem, and expanding gambling in Washington is not the solution, in our view.”
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/13/117601-washington-senate-approves-bill-to-allow-betting-on-instate-college-teams-at-tribal-casinos
