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Washington is the only US state that explicitly makes placing an online sports bet a crime. It is viewed as one of the most ridiculous and self-serving laws. For those wondering if it has ever been applied, the answer is "no". But because Washington came up with this law a decade ago, a number of offshore sportsbooks are not accessible here.
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The US Supreme Court made it even more difficult to enforce this law as they reversed decades of prohibition of sports wagering last year.
Washington does not appear to have any plans to move forward with legalizing sports betting in the state. Should they move forward, the sportsbooks would most definitely have to operate from tribal casinos and the aforementioned law would need to be scrapped. Obviously nobody is going to be placing sports bets with the tribal casinos if state law says they can be prosecuted for doing so.
The state can certainly benefit for offering betting on sports. In addition to the Seahawks, Washington universities have been powerhouses in recent years both in Football and Basketball (the Huskies, Cougars and those Gonzaga Bulldogs).
Seattle is also home to a rabid base of Major League Soccer fans.
- Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com
