If you’re looking for a place to gamble in Washington, you’re in luck. The Evergreen State features a fairly advanced casino industry with loads of diverse gambling offerings and more than enough options to satisfy most players. While the state gambling law may be restrictive when it comes to certain forms of gambling, numerous tribal casinos, card rooms, bingo halls, and recently introduced sportsbooks, make the Washington gambling scene one of the most developed in the country.
Our gambling experts here at PlaySlots4RealMoney.com have done a ton of work to gather all the essential information about Washington casinos and present it in one place. This guide will help you find the best places to gamble, learn about the state gambling laws and regulations, and provide a valuable resource for anything else you may want to know about gambling in Washington State. Among other things, this guide will provide information on:
The gambling industry in Washington is mostly dominated by tribal casinos, although you may also find other forms of gaming, including state lottery, cruise casinos, card rooms, bingo halls, charitable gaming options, and since recently, sports betting.
As the law prohibits casino development anywhere else but on Native American land, the only casinos are those owned and operated by several Native American tribes. Since the introduction of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, tribal casinos have been opening all around the state, and currently, there are around 30 of them operating in Washington. Washington gamblers and visitors to the state have a wide range of games available in these casinos, including live game tables, slot machines, and poker. Tribal casinos are also the only establishments in the state authorized to offer sports betting.
The second largest form of gambling in Washington is card rooms, which have a long tradition in the state, having been around for more than 45 years. Card rooms, also known as mini-casinos, offer various house-banked card games, such as blackjack, baccarat, or different variants of poker. Another place where Washington residents can gamble is a number of cruise ship casinos that operate by sailing out of Washington jurisdiction to provide legal gambling to their passengers. Three are no racinos in the state, although you may find off-track betting at certain casinos. Like many US states, Washington has its own state lottery, featuring seven different games.
When it comes to online gambling in Washington, the situation is rather bleak. Online casinos and internet gambling are still illegal in the Evergreen State, so usually, the only option is to use the casinos registered at other, commonly offshore, jurisdictions that accept American players. Online sports betting was legalized in 2021, but you can only place the bets if you’re within the grounds of tribal casinos.
As we already explained, the legal land-based casinos in the state of Washington are owned and operated by Native American tribes and located on their land. However, with 29 tribal casinos currently active, this still leaves plenty of options for gambling within the state. As the number of tribal casinos in Washington State is this high, you’re very likely to reach one with a short drive no matter where you are. Right now, there are no new casinos planned, so we shouldn’t expect any new Washington gaming locations any time soon. Below is a short overview of the three that are our top picks among the Washington casinos.
Opened in 1995, on the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe reservation near Auburn, the Muckleshoot Casinos is one of the best places to gamble in the entire Pacific Northwest. The gaming space has been expanding several times since its opening and today it spans more than 140,000 square feet and features numerous and diverse casino games, including over 3,100 slot and video poker machines, 75 table games (roulette, dice games, blackjack…) and 32 poker tables, There is even a bingo hall, which is located outside the main facility, but is just down the street. All gaming facilities are open 24/7.
Muckleshoot Casino also has plenty to offer besides just gambling. There are eight different restaurants where you can enjoy cuisines from all over the world and five bars that bring all the joys of nightlife. For those that are into live entertainment, the casino organizes regular concerts and live show events, with some of the biggest regional stars performing. On top of all this, the Muckleshoot Casino also features several conference and meeting room facilities.
Tulalip Resort Casino is one of the three gambling facilities run by the Tulalip Tribe and the biggest establishment of its kind in Washington State It boasts impressive gambling space, luxury hotel accommodations, and numerous other exclusive amenities. The vast casino floor covers 200,000 square feet and features more than 2,400 slot machines, nearly 40 table games, and 12 always-busy poker tables.
Plus, the visitors at Tulip Resort Casino can try their luck playing bingo and keno. One of the reasons this is one of the most popular casinos in Washington State is that they pay out more than $5 million in jackpots every month. The casino’s doors are open to visitors 24 hours, every day of the week.
The casino complex also includes a 12-story hotel with 360 guest rooms and luxurious suites. Here, you can enjoy various emanates, including various dining and nightlife options, a swimming pool, spa center, marketplace, fitness center, outside patio, and a gift shop. The resort also features 30,000 square feet of meeting, event, and entertainment area that often hosts concerts and other live performances.
Ilani Casino Resort is a huge gambling and entertainment facility, spanning 156 acres, next to the I-interchange, near La Center, Washington. The casino is operated by Cowlitz Tribe and the Salishan-Mohegan partnership. The main attraction of the complex is the 100,000 square feet casino floor with over 2,500 real money slot machines, more than 75 table games, and 20 poker tables. Recently, the casino introduced a full-service sportsbook. All gaming services are open to visitors 24/7.
The offer at Ilani Casino Resorts starts with gambling but doesn’t end there. The complex features an eight-story hotel with 300 rooms, retail outlets, 11 different restaurants and bars, and a meeting and entertainment venue that seats 2,500 people. The entertainment venue, dubbed the Cowlitz Ballroom can also be separated into 230 smaller rooms for the more modest events.
The casino has recently announced plans to expand, and the $30 million expansion will include a 14-story hotel with a spa center, top-floor restaurant, and swimming pool. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
The State of Washington is still pretty restrictive when it comes to online gambling. The only form of online gaming that’s currently legal to organize within state borders is sports betting, but even those platforms have to access from the grounds belonging to tribal casinos that have sports betting licenses. In addition, daily fantasy sports are also prohibited, despite numerous efforts to change that and the legality of this type of game on the federal level.
Nevertheless, Washington gamblers can bypass the restriction on online gambling in the state itself by playing at one of the online cases that hold licenses from reputable jurisdictions that accept US players, such as Curacao or Costa Rica. However, when accessing these gaming platforms, it’s important to exercise some caution and play only on sites that are 100% legit and trustworthy. The best way to do this is to use one of our top-rated Washington online casinos. Each site on our list has gone through a robust and strict review process by our team to make sure that it’s completely reliable and that your money and personal information will be safe at all times.
The gaming laws in Washington are neither among the most lenient nor the strictest in the country and the regulations can vary greatly depending on the form of gambling. Gambling within the state borders is regulated and governed by the Washington State Gambling Commission, which is in charge of issuing casino licenses and overseeing the entire gaming industry. Legal gambling in the state was introduced with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. The compact between the state and Native American tribes paved the way for opening tribal casinos and today, there are nearly 30 of them all over the state. The first tribal casinos were established by Lummi Tribe and the Tulalip Tribe
Besides tribal casinos, state laws also allow several other forms of gambling. Bingo and raffles have been legal since 1971, and in 1982, the state also introduced the lottery. Off-track horse*race betting is also legal and has been for more than 30 years, although there are no race tracks in the state. In 1997, the lawmakers also legalized non-tribal card rooms, which soon started popping up all over the state and today, there are more than 60 of them.
The latest development happened in 2020 when Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a sports betting law into effect. However, sports betting remains restricted, as wagers are only allowed on tribal land, in person, or on a mobile device. The wager was placed in September 2021, the Snoqualmie tribe’s sportsbook. Online gambling and online casinos remain illegal and according to recent reports, there’s no realistic option of that changing any time soon.
We already explained that, despite a ban on organizing online gambling in the state itself, Washington gamblers can still use online casinos based outside the state’s jurisdiction. If you plan on doing this, you may as well boost your bankroll and add some extra money to your account by using various promotions and bonuses offered by online gaming sites. Thanks to our partnerships with some of the leading online casinos, PlaySlots4RealMoney.com can offer you the best and the most lucrative bonus deals you’ll find anywhere on the internet. So, our readers have exclusive access to many juicy perks our partners have prepared specifically for them.
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In general, the legal gambling age in Washington for most forms of gambling is 18, with few exceptions. In casinos that are licensed to serve alcohol, you can only gamble if you’re at least 21. Sports betting is another exception, as you need to be 21 years old to place a wager.
As Washington doesn’t have a state income tax, you won’t have to pay any additional taxes to the state on you your gambling winnings. Still, you will have to pay a federal income tax of 24% over the threshold for a certain game. For example, the tax threshold for slot machines is $1,200. Additionally, the federal tax is also paid on winnings that are worth more than 300 times your initial wager.
At the moment, there are 29 land-based casinos in Washington, operated by 22 Native American tribes.
The casinos in Washington are typically named after the Native American tribe that operates them. The most recognizable casinos in Washington state are Muckleshoot Casino, Tulalip Resort Casino, and Ilani Casino Resort.
The state of Washington only allows certain forms of gambling. This includes tribal casinos, card rooms, off-track horse-race betting, bingo, lottery, and sports betting on the tribal casino premises. Other forms of gambling, such as online casinos, are prohibited.