Washington senators approved a bill this week that would allow state residents to bet on in-state college sports teams, as long as they did so at tribal casinos.
The state currently allows betting on college sports but not on Washington schools. If Senate Bill 6137 were to pass, it would allow visitors to casinos to wager on the outcome of games or matches featuring the likes of the University of Washington Huskies, the Washington State University Cougars or the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
The state Senate passed the bill on Feb. 11 by a vote of 41-8, sending it over to the House of Representatives for review. The legislation would not take effect until 90 days after the legislature adjourns in mid-March.
Bringing in-state college betting under oversight
Members who supported the bill during discussion cited the need to curb the black market.
“We currently offer for professional Washington teams but not for college Washington teams,” said Rep. Sharlett Mena, one of the sponsors of the House companion bill, at a hearing last month. “In the absence of a legal option, it hasn’t stopped sports betting; it’s simply pushed it into the shadows where college sports wagering already happens through offshore and illegal markets. This bill would bring this activity into our regulatory structure.”
“This is the first step in an attempt to address something that’s an illicit market out there,” said Sen. Jeff Holy on Wednesday, as quoted by the Spokesman-Review. “You might not like the optics on this, but this really is the only game in town. And I think it’s a proper structure to apply.”
While the bill would loosen college betting rules, college player prop bets, which are currently allowed on individual athletes’ performances for out-of-state schools, would still be prohibited on players at Washington schools. College prop betting continues to be under stern scrutiny across the U.S. amid numerous NCAA betting scandals in recent months.
This week, the Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission wrote to NCAA President Charlie Baker to express their concerns over how damaging college props are to athlete welfare and sporting integrity. Huskies basketball player Franck Kepnang is a member of the commission and was one of the 22 players who signed the letter.
Have prediction markets changed the game?
At a hearing last month, Washington Indian Gaming Association Chair Ron Allen told the Senate Business Committee that Washingtonians are already able to bet on in-state college teams due to the nationwide spread of prediction markets offering sport contracts.
“With the current state of the CFTC [Commodity Futures Trading Commission] and with apps like Kalshi at the federal level, you can place a wager now in Washington state on the Huskies, the Cougs or the Zags,” added Northern Quest Resort and Casino Executive Director Kevin Zenishek.
While the tribal casinos supported the bill, the state’s colleges struck a cautious tone, citing fears over athlete abuse and sporting integrity if the state were to expand betting on college sports.
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing in this bill but trouble for WSU and our student athletes, who are incredibly accessible, both on campus and online,” argued Washington State University Senior Director of State Relations Chris Mullick.
Virginia also mulling more college betting
Washington isn’t the only state considering allowing bets on in-state college teams this year.
In Virginia, Delegate Garrett McGuire filed a bill proposing to end that state’s prohibition on gambling on in-state NCAA Division I schools, as long as licensed sportsbooks are taxed at 50% of the revenue they make on the bets they take on Virginia colleges.
“I could drive my car 20 minutes across the bridge and place a bet on a Virginia school in D.C. to circumvent our prohibition anyway,” McGuire told SBC Americas in an interview. “That means revenue is going to D.C. or North Carolina and Maryland. So, maybe it’s time to re-examine that.” He stressed that college prop betting would remain banned in Virginia, citing the same fears over athletes’ mental health and safety and the integrity of college sports.
