Betfred launches retail sportsbook in Washington State
Operator expands into Evergreen State amid bitter tribal gaming legal row
Betfred USA Sports has launched a retail sportsbook offering in Washington State in partnership with tribal operator the Lummi Nation.
The retail sportsbook is located at the tribe’s Silver Reef Casino Resort and occupies the space formerly taken up by the in-resort Portage Bay Bar & Lounge. It includes several high-resolution video walls, multiple betting stations and self-serve kiosks.
At present, sports betting is permitted in the Evergreen State at Class III tribal casinos, with betting allowed on professional sports and major college sports with the exception of those collegiate events involving a school located in the state.
Betfred is currently licensed in Arizona, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington, and Colorado, with Ohio, Nevada, Maryland, and Virginia currently pending regulatory approval.
The firm also serves as sportsbook sponsor of the Denver Broncos, Cincinnati Bengals, and Colorado Rockies. Betfred USA Sports COO Bryan Bennett welcomed the expansion of the firm’s footprint into the state.
“We look forward to utilizing our 50 years of bookmaking experience to make the Betfred Sportsbook at Silver Reef Casino Resort the go-to destination for sports wagering in the state,” Bennett said.
“We’ve long been eyeing the state of Washington and are excited to enter the market in partnership with Lummi Nation and the team at Silver Reef Casino,” he added.
The launch comes amid the continuance of a bitter legal dispute over state laws permitting officials to amend tribal gambling compacts to allow sports betting agreements with operators.
In January, local cardroom operator Maverick Gaming filed a federal lawsuit over the validity of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in the state, suggesting it gave tribal operators exclusivity over their commercial counterparts in Washington State.
Maverick Gaming CEO Eric Persson is a member of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe, which operates a tribal casino in Washington State and vicariously is a target of the lawsuit.
Earlier this month, the Shoalwater Bay Tribe launched a countersuit against Maverick Gaming claiming the operator is trying to “destroy” a vital tribal revenue source.
Speaking at the time the countersuit was filed, Shoalwater Bay Tribe chairperson Charlene Nelson summed up the case.
“It is clear to us that Maverick’s lawsuit is just one prong of a broader national assault on tribal sovereignty,” Nelson said.
“It’s not a coincidence that the high-powered law firm representing Maverick is the same firm that is also challenging the federal Indian adoption law before the US Supreme Court.
“Just as tribes are building economic independence and regaining their self-reliance, there are powerful forces at work seeking to roll back the clock and take away what we have fought so hard over the years to restore,” she added.
The case continues.