Washington State Tribal Gaming Compact Negotiations Reach Tentative Deal

Article ByDavid Weir

July 7, 2023

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Posted in: Washington State Gambling News, US Casino News

The Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC) has reached a preliminary tribal gaming compact agreement with four federally recognized tribes in the state.

The tribes involved in this agreement are the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Spokane Tribe, and Suquamish Tribe.

The four tribes and the Commission have all signed off on a series of amendments to the current compact.

If it passes the multiple votes it needs to go through, the compact could see electronic table games added to existing tribal gaming venues, such as the Cowlitz’s Ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield near Portland (pictured).

The Agreement and Its Implications

This is the first step in a long process before certification. Nevertheless the agreement is a significant step forward for Washington casino gaming, as it firmly establishes the terms of the new framework.

The tentative agreements will be presented at a joint Senate and House Legislative hearing on July 10, 2023.

Following this, each agreement will be put to a vote at the state Gambling Commission’s public meeting on July 20, 2023.

If the Commission votes to forward the tribe’s amendment, it will be sent to the Tribal Chairs and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee (D) for final consideration and signature.

Once signed by the heads of both parties, the tribe will send the amendment to the Secretary of the United States Department of Interior for consideration and publication in the Federal Register.

The compact amendment will not be final until all those steps have been completed.

Changing Winds

The new Washington State agreement comes in the wake of a series of potentially groundbreaking court case decisions in the tribal gaming space.

In Florida last week, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the nation’s largest tribal gaming operator and owner of Hard Rock Entertainment, came out on top in a landmark sports betting case.

“This would dramatically alter the national gaming landscape, because it will now be the blueprint for online sports betting and internet gaming across the country,” said one gambling expert after the news broke.

Meanwhile, in Kansas, the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma recently emerged victorious in a 30-year legal battle with the state over its plans to build a casino in Park City, near Wichita.

These decisions going in favor of tribes across the country will only embolden the cause of others looking to expand their gaming offerings, as these four tribes are attempting in Washington.

Maverick Lawsuit

The state’s tribes may also be buoyed by an earlier decision that went their way in Washington.

Earlier in 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington dismissed a legal claim against the state’s tribal sports betting operations by Las Vegas-based Washington card room operator Maverick Gaming LLC.

The court ruled that Maverick’s lawsuit was null and void because it declined to name all the active tribal sports betting operators in the state in the lawsuit.

The state has 29 federally recognized tribes, all of which have a Class III gaming compact. With 22 of those tribes operating 28 gaming facilities in the state, the potential for casino gaming expansion is definitely there.

The adoption of electronic table games will likely attract more players to tribal casinos, boosting revenues and contributing to their economic development.

The dismissal of Maverick Gaming’s lawsuit also sets a legal precedent that could deter future challenges against tribal gaming operations.