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Washington and Wyoming Take Significant Steps Towards Regulated Sports Betting

Washington and Wyoming Take Significant Steps Towards Regulated Sports Betting

Since May 2018, the Supreme Court of the US has allowed all the states to decide on their own when it comes to legalizing and regulating sports betting. This happened after the SCUS has stricken down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 which made such activity illegal. Today, over 20 states have legal sports betting including Wyoming and Washington. Both states are hoping to launch betting this year.

On Monday, the Wyoming Gaming Commission has announced the approval of a series of online sports wagering rules which means that the launch of mobile sports betting should be available in the state soon. It is known that Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has already signed this into law in April of this year. Since the governor’s signature, it was a matter of waiting for the rules that will be set by the state’s Gambling Commission. The recently approved rules only apply to mobile wagering as the passed bill in this state only allows this – meaning, in-person betting will not be allowed.

The target date for the rules to go on the public is on September 1. However, there are already major sports events happening around the world and it’s inevitable for the locals to pass on betting opportunities on sports like cricket. Now, even if sports betting hasn’t launched in the state yet, the locals can still place their bets online as long as they do so on offshore casinos and bookies like 10CRIC. Click here to check on betting odds available for the upcoming cricket matches on 10CRIC.

It is reported that there is a 122-page set of the final rules and it is divided into nine chapters. It contains the standard procedures for online betting and any other wagering systems in the state. The chapters have sections on auditing, internal controls, responsible advertising, and taxes and payments. There will also be a set of emergency rules but these will no longer be effective 120 days after the filing with the state’s registrar.

The application process for the interested operators started in the second week of July and based on the law, there is an unlimited number of mobile licenses that the state can issue. While this is great news for sportsbooks, the state only has a population of 600,000. With that, not a lot of betting operators will likely be part of the Wyoming sports betting scene.

The approved operators will have to pay $100,000 for an initial five-year permit and if they want to renew their license after that, they will have to pay $50,000. The operators must also pay 10 percent of their betting revenues to the state as tax. All in all, it is estimated that the local industry will get up to 450 million USD wagers annually.

Washington’s Quest to Regulate Betting

Last week, the Gambling Commission of Washington also unanimously approved the licensing rules to be followed for sports betting licenses. This came after the amendment of the state’s gaming compact in April which allowed sports betting with the Tulalip Tribes of the state.

Since this happened, the state has also negotiated with 15 other tribes. Each of them has amended their gaming compact with Washington before the US Department of the Interior. They are still waiting for the DOI’s approval and if this happens, the licenses will have to be approved by the Tribal Gaming Agencies and the Gambling Commission.

The sixteen tribes that have already negotiated with the state regarding the sports wagering compact amendments are the following:

  • The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
  • Cowlitz Indian Tribe
  • Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
  • Kalispel Tribe of Indians
  • Lummi Nation
  • Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
  • Puyallup Tribe of Indians
  • Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe
  • Snoqualmie Indian Tribe
  • Spokane Tribe
  • Squaxin Island Tribe
  • Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
  • Suquamish Tribe
  • Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
  • Tulalip Tribe of Washington
  • Skokomish Indian Tribe

These tribes operate more than 20 casinos in the state and they would play an important role in executing both in-person and mobile betting in Washington. Based on the signed law, online betting will only be allowed within the tribal lands. However, on a federal level, locals outside the tribal lands can still place their bets offshore.

The Gambling Act or RCW 9.46 is the basis of the regulation of sports betting activities in the state. If the timeline permits, the applicants should be able to receive their betting licenses by next month and the locals should be able to bet on the NFL within the state by then.

 

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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