FanDuel Group and Port Madison Enterprises have announced the opening of a new retail sportsbook at Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort in Suquamish, Washington State.
The new facility was opened by NFL Legends Steve Largent and Jim Zorn who performed ribbon-cutting duties.
Rion Ramirez, CEO of Port Madison Enterprises, the business arm of the Suquamish Tribe, stated: “We are excited to have formed a partnership with FanDuel, America’s #1 Sportsbook, and be their exclusive partner in Washington State.
“The joint effort between the Suquamish Tribal Gaming Commission, the Washington State Gambling Commission, FanDuel, and a number of our Casino employees made this all possible and we are thrilled that our sportsbook is now open.”
Located just off the casino floor near the Agate Pass Deli and Seafood Bar, the new 2,086 square foot sportsbook has three live betting windows and 12 IGT PlaySports self-service betting kiosks, providing sports bettors with “an incredible game-day atmosphere” including wagering options across all major sporting events.
“The FanDuel Sportsbook has been a highly-anticipated addition to Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, which has enhanced our gaming offerings and provides an exciting amenity to our casino guests,” commented Greg George, Port Madison Enterprises Board President.
Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe, added: “The Suquamish Tribe is extremely proud to have added sports wagering to our gaming compact. With the launch of our sportsbook, revenue from sports wagering will help support the Suquamish Tribe’s important governmental services offered to both tribal members and the local non-tribal community.”
FanDuel will provide its proprietary risk and trading technology that leverages the IGT PlaySports platform to offer bets on all major US sports. Bets can also be placed on NCAA sporting events, but cannot be staked on college teams located in Washington state.
“This has been a special project for us because it has allowed us to expand our retail footprint to the west coast,” said Keith Wall, Vice President of Retail, FanDuel Group.
“The Suquamish Tribe has been an amazing partner throughout the process and Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort is an amazing property that everyone needs to visit for the stunning views, world-class entertainment, and now legal sports betting.”
Washington is the 14th state where FanDuel has a retail sportsbook, joining Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Alongside the Suquamish Tribe’s FanDuel Sportsbook at Clearwater Casino, the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Little Creek Casino in Shelton opened its sportsbook last Tuesday. A total of 16 Washington tribes have now received approval to add sports betting.
Rebecca George, Executive Director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) commented on the sportsbook openings, saying: “The launch of sports betting at these tribal casinos in Washington State is another step forward on the road to greater self-determination for Washington State’s tribes.”
George also commented on recent moves by Maverick Gaming to challenge in federal court the Washington Tribes’ exclusivity on sports betting. She stated: “Now one private gambling company incorporated in Las Vegas is seeking to destroy the safe and proven system of tribal gaming that we have put in place over the last three decades.
“Their federal lawsuit, which seeks to overturn the tribal gaming compacts carefully negotiated over three decades between tribes and state leaders, would cause irreparable harm, not just to historically marginalized tribal communities but to the general public as well.
“This lawsuit demonstrates their true intent. They want to expand gaming far beyond sports betting. They are seeking the right to offer multiple new forms of easily accessible gambling in our neighborhoods. This is an attempt to force a huge expansion of gambling in Washington state against the will of the public and the bipartisan decisions of the legislators who represent them.”
