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Nov 21, 2020 Online casinos are more dependent on luck. The biggest difference between casinos and sports betting is the luck proponent. Yes, both involve a fair bit of luck but casinos are more dependent on this. Online casinos also have a higher upside than sports betting. Slots have jackpots and so does roulette.
**Updated December 1, 2020: In an unexpected move, Michigan lawmakers have decided to fast track the internet sports betting and internet gaming rules. According to PlayMichigan, the state gaming board will next send the rules over to the Office of the Great Seal followed by a couple of weeks of licensing and stand procedure mechanics. The key takeaway being, foreseeing any massive roadblocks there is a possible online sports betting, and iGaming could arrive before years end.
This year, Michigan has seen its fair shares of ups and downs. From the anticipated launch of sports betting to a pandemic-forced closure of the casino industry.
Talks of online sports betting and iGaming sparked a bit of optimism, and hell, even the Detroit Lions have a few wins under their belt — who would have thought?
As we descend from the Election Day mountain (which saw a few states legalize sports wagering) and chaotically stumble into 2021, the Wolverine State has a few items of importance to watch.
Potential COVID-19 setbacks
The coronavirus pandemic has been and continues to be one of the darkest periods of time in US history. Resorts were closed, major sports evaporated, sportsbooks shutdown and Las Vegas was reduced to a ghost town. There are few businesses and industries that have been pandemic-proof and casinos are no exception.
Governors across the US took measures to help slow the rising cases of COVID-19 by limiting social gatherings, closing restaurants, and installing strict health and safety measures across all industries.
An unfortunate five days after the launch of retail sports betting, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Michigan casinos would shut down for preventative measures. Nobody knew that would last for five months, from March 16 till early August.
Now the second round of closures, although less lengthy, has begun. Whitmer again said casinos would be closed for three weeks to help prevent the virus’s spread.
There is no telling what 2021 could bring. We have no crystal ball to predict what madness will occur. Scientific experts anticipate a second, more threatening wave of the pandemic could emerge this winter. Perhaps closing down casinos now could help down the road.
Still, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that governors might once again have to take drastic measures to help ride out the storm.
But stay strong Michigan because much like the emergence of Lions running back D’Andre Swift, experts predicted big things.
Will Michigan online gambling ever arrive?
Online sports betting, regardless of state, will always be a tool of great importance. It will be heavily debated, scrutinized, coveted, and hailed as an economic resource, except for maybe in Utah.
Michigan is no exception.
In the post-election wake, mobile wagering appeared ready for its Thanksgiving Day debut. But not all things arrive precisely when needed. There is no reason to bore you with specifics; the simple fact is, the window to consider and approve rules and regulations is closing.
At this rate, with so few legislative session days left on the calendar, the likelihood of lawmakers approving online betting rules is slim. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but the possibility is something I wouldn’t wager on.
By expert calculations, mobile sports betting won’t arrive in time for Super Bowl betting, but possibly during the first half of 2021. Thus, Michigan residents will have to place bets the old school way, at the numerous retail locations scattered across the state.
But the postponed launch of Michigan online sports betting hasn’t stopped operators from getting ready. FanDuel Sportsbook created a unique promotion for customers who sign up before the eventual launch of online betting. It’s unknown if other operators follow FanDuel’s lead. However, it’s expected that upwards of 15 mobile sportsbooks will flood the state when the time comes.
The state is expected to reap the economic rewards of iGaming, which includes online poker and online casino games. These were given the official sign-off in 2019 but have yet to officially kick off. Still, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has expressed that there’s still a chance online casinos could make their debut by the end of the year. (Online poker will still be quite a ways off.) The market value is expected to attract a number of high profile operators like DraftKings and Wynn.
Perhaps online gambling will arrive much like a belated Christmas gift, topped with a bow and wrapped in dollar bills.
The state of Washington became the 21st state to legalize sports betting on March 25th, 2020 when Governor Jay Inslee signed a new sports betting bill into law. Washington was the first state in 2020 to legalize sports betting.
How Sports Betting Became Legal in Washington
In the past, the state of Washington had some of the harshest anti-gambling laws. When the PASPA ruling back in 2018 occurred, many expected Washington to be one of the last wave of states to legalize sports betting. Now just two years after the May 2018 PASPA ruling, the state of Washington has now legalized sports betting.
The bill that legalized sports betting, HB 2638, made its way through legislation rather quickly. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds) was hoping to push the bill quickly through the shortened legislative session and his wishes came true.
HB 2638 began to move its way through the legislation with relative ease, passing by fairly solid margins. The bill managed to make its way through to the governor just in time before the end of the Coronavirus-impacted legislative session. The bill passed in the house 84-14 and 34-15 in the Senate. Typically the bill would have gone to a voter referendum in November that would have required a 60 percent majority vote but due to an emergency provision in the bill, it was able to bypass that step.
Governor Jay Inslee signed the bill into law on March 25th, 2020.
What Sports Betting Will Look Like in Washington
While sports betting is now legal in Washington state, there are still plenty of restrictions. First off, the bill only calls for sports betting at the state’s tribal casinos. Sports betting will only be allowed to take place on tribal casino property, there will be no legal state-wide mobile betting in Washington, at least not at this time.
While the sports world is currently in a hiatus thanks to the current Coronavirus pandemic, this may actually be the best time for Washington to legalize sports betting. The state is still months away from launching any actual legal sportsbooks so this current hiatus doesn’t have much of an effect on Washington just yet. The tribes and the state of Washington still have plenty of negotiating in their state compacts before any sportsbooks can be opened. These negotiations could take months before anything is put into place.
Under the new sports betting law, wagers can be placed on both professional and collegiate sporting events. However, like some other states with legal sports betting, wagers on local collegiate events located in the state of Washington will not be permitted. A number of other states with legal sports betting have also restricted betting on collegiate events and collegiate teams located in their respective state.
The lack of legal mobile sports betting in Washington will have some benefit to neighboring state Oregon. Oregon, which is located on the southern border of Washington, has legal mobile sports betting. For Washington residents located in the southern part of the state, it may be more convenient for them to travel across state lines into Oregon to place bets from their mobile devices as opposed to traveling to tribal casinos within Washington to place bets. Some of those in Washington who are already traveling to Oregon to bet may also be less inclined to make the switch to betting in person in their home state.
Any way you look at it, Washington will certainly be losing a percentage of revenue to Oregon and possibly Idaho in the future if Idaho does, in fact, legalize mobile sports betting before Washington does.
As for the tribal sportsbooks in Washington, they are expected to range anywhere from full-fledged sportsbooks and lounges at some casinos to simple betting kiosks at others.
Assuming everything goes smoothly in Washington, residents could be betting on sports sometime this year. A realistic goal at this time would be by the start of the upcoming NFL season. Assuming there will be no delays from the Coronavirus issue, the NFL season will be starting September 10th. While it is possible, it is unlikely that Washington residents will be legally betting on sports in their home state anytime sooner than that. If anything, it is more likely that legal sports betting won’t launch in Washington until early 2021.
Issue With Legal Sports Betting and Washington Tribes
There are currently 29 federally-recognized tribal casinos in the state of Washington. Like we have seen in other states, such as California, the tribes in Washington believed they had the exclusive rights to offer sports betting. Other gambling facilities in the state of Washington did not believe that was the case. Another belief that we have seen in other states with the same issue.
A major part of the reason that Washington tribes are the only ones that are able to offer legal sports betting is due to their heavy lobbying for this particular bill. Had they not have been given the exclusive rights to legal sports betting, they would have used their political clout to shoot down any bill that wouldn’t have given them that legal sports betting monopoly. In the past, Washington tribes have been very outspoken against gambling expansions in the state.
Of course, non-tribal gaming establishments in Washington are not happy with this exact sports betting bill passing. Racetracks, mini-casinos and card rooms were all hoping that sports betting would have been open to all legal gambling establishments in the state. They do not believe that tribes deserve to have a monopoly on sports betting in the state. One particular opponent of the bill, who believes the same, has already threatened legal action.
Maverick Gaming, who have recently purchased 19 of Washington’s 44 non-tribal card rooms, has been one of the biggest advocates of this bill passing. CEO of the Nevada-based Maverick Gaming, Erik Persson, argued earlier in the year at a public hearing that Washington would lose up to $50 million in tax revenue by not allowing sports betting to go beyond tribal casinos. Persson also believed that the only reason the emergency clause was added to the bill was that lawmakers knew that Washington residents would never approve the bill as it was proposed. He has even contacted Governor Inslee directly asking for him to veto the final version of the bill.
Persson has vowed to spend up to $30 million on litigation, campaigning and anything else to block the bill from becoming law. He also believes that this tax-free monopoly to tribal casinos will endanger the jobs of nearly 2,200 employees at Maverick Gaming. So while Washington did pass a bill to make sports betting legal, there are still some hurdles in the way. Persson and other non-tribal gaming establishments in Washington will continue to try and get sports betting expanded in the state, which could lead to even more issues down the road.
FAQ
Is sports betting legal in Washington?
When will legal sports betting begin in Washington?
What are the sports betting laws in Washington?
Is mobile sports betting legal in Washington?
Are daily fantasy sports contests legal in Washington?
Is FanDuel Sportsbook coming to Washington?
Is DraftKings Sportsbook coming to Washington?
How many legal sportsbooks are there in Washington?
Do I have to be from Washington to bet in Washington?
Will I have to pay taxes on my sports betting winnings?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sports betting legal in Washington?Yes. Governor Inslee signed HB 2638 into law back on March 25th, 2020. Under the bill, sports betting is legal at tribal casinos located in the state of Washington. Once sportsbooks begin to open at these tribal casinos you will be free to bet legally in Washington.
When will legal sports betting begin in Washington?There is currently no timeline as to when legal sports betting will officially launch in Washington. The state and the tribes still have to negotiate their current compacts. A best-case scenario would be that sportsbooks launch in Washington before the start of the 2020 NFL season on September 10th.
What are the sports betting laws in Washington?Bettors in Washington can make wagers on professional and collegiate sporting events. However, like a number of other states in the country, Washington residents will not be able to bet on local collegiate teams. The minimum gambling age is 18 or 21 if the establishment sells alcohol.
Is mobile sports betting legal in Washington?Casinos With Sports Betting
No. The current sports betting law does not allow for mobile sports betting in Washington. Sports betting is only permitted on tribal lands that have a licensed sportsbook. It is possible that state-wide mobile sports betting could become legal in Washington in the future.
Are daily fantasy sports contests legal in Washington?No. Washington is one of the most strict states in the country when it comes to daily fantasy sports. Arrests have been made in the past in Washington over daily fantasy sports. The state of Washington classifies DFS as a game of “chance”, therefore making it illegal.
Is FanDuel Sportsbook coming to Washington?It’s unknown is FanDuel Sportsbook will attempt to enter the Washington market. There is no legal online sports betting or daily fantasy sports in the state. Therefore, if FanDuel were to enter Washington it would have to be as a partner of a tribal casino to operate their retail sportsbook.
Is DraftKings Sportsbook coming to Washington?Just like FanDuel, it’s currently unknown if DraftKings Sportsbook will attempt to enter the Washington market. With the lack of DFS and online sports betting, if DraftKings were to enter Washington it would have to be as a partner of a tribal casino to operate their retail sportsbook.
How many legal sportsbooks are there in Washington?There are currently no legal sportsbooks available in Washington. While sports betting is legal, no sportsbooks have been established yet. Sportsbooks won’t open in the state until after compacts between the state and tribes are negotiated. Once that happens, Washington could see as many as 29 sportsbooks throughout the state.
Do I have to be from Washington to bet in Washington?No. You don’t have to be a resident of Washington in order to place a legal bet at a Washington sportsbook. As long as you are of legal age and are not breaking any other restrictions, you can place a legal sports bet in Washington regardless of where you live.
Will I have to pay taxes on my sports betting winnings?Yes. As with any other state, Washington residents will be required to pay taxes on their winnings. Sports betting falls under gambling when it comes to taxes and you must pay taxes on gambling winnings to a certain extent. You can find more info at IRS.gov.