Washington Online Casinos and Gambling Sites
Washington can be a confusing place for those who look to gamble online. On one hand, the law explicitly prohibits online casinos, but on the other, numerous gambling sites accept Washington players.
So what’s the deal? Will you get busted for spinning the reels from home?
I did a deep dive into all of the laws regarding gambling in the Evergreen State, and in this comprehensive guide, I will give you a breakdown.
I will tell you precisely what’s legal, what isn’t, how to navigate the grey areas, and where to play safely from Washington.
Gambling Highlights
Want to gamble in Washington? The following table provides a snapshot of what forms of gambling are legal in the state. From online casinos to land-based casinos and other forms of gambling such as state lottery.
Is Gambling Legal?
Yes
Legal Gambling Age
18-21
Land-Based Casinos
Yes
Online Casinos
No
Land-Based Sports Betting
Yes
Online Sportsbooks
Yes (on Tribal Lands)
Legal State Lottery
Yes
Charitable Gambling
Yes
Table of Contents
Jump to Specific Areas of This Page
Is Online Gambling Legal in Washington?
Key Takeaways
- State authorities focus on preventing illegal in-state online gambling operators rather than players or offshore operators.
- Many real money online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms accept WA players.
- Nobody has ever faced prosecution for gambling online in Washington.
Washington is one of the states with the toughest stances on online gambling. However, it is very possible to do it safely. As with many other states in the US, WA is hands-off when it comes to online casinos. So, why are their views so strict?
In 2006, they passed a law that considers internet gambling a felony. However, the state has made it clear that this enforcement targeted only unlawful operators based on the state.
Nobody, including players, promotors, or operators, has faced prosecution since Day’s comments almost two decades ago. So, should you be worried? No! Many online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks continue serving the Evergreen State.
Likewise, WA residents keep playing at these sites with no repercussions.
The state leaves offshore gambling sites alone because they are not operating within state borders.
Best Washington Online Casinos in 2024
Many casinos are available in this state, but which are the top options? I have reviewed many reviews to find the best Washington online casinos. The following table lists the best gambling options for WA players.
| RANK | CASINO | BONUS | PAYOUT SPEED | LICENSED | TOTAL GAMES | SLOTS | OUR RATING | CLICK TO PLAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
DuckyLuck Casino |
BONUS 500% up to $7,500 | PAYOUT SPEED 1-5 Days | LICENSED Yes | TOTAL GAMES 699 | SLOTS 600 | OUR RATING 4 / 5 | Play Now |
| 2 |
Bovada Casino |
BONUS 125% up to $3,750 | PAYOUT SPEED 1-3 Days | LICENSED Yes | TOTAL GAMES 549 | SLOTS 435 | OUR RATING 4 / 5 | Play Now |
| 3 |
SlotsandCasino |
BONUS 500% up to $7,500 | PAYOUT SPEED 1-2 Days | LICENSED Yes | TOTAL GAMES 691 | SLOTS 594 | OUR RATING 3.9 / 5 | Play Now |
| 4 |
BetUS |
BONUS 150% up to $3,000 | PAYOUT SPEED 1-7 days | LICENSED Yes | TOTAL GAMES 491 | SLOTS 367 | OUR RATING 4.5 / 5 | Play Now |
| 5 |
Cafe Casino |
BONUS 350% up to $2,500 | PAYOUT SPEED 1-3 Days | LICENSED Yes | TOTAL GAMES 547 | SLOTS 384 | OUR RATING 3.5 / 5 | Play Now |
*Last Updated: November 13, 2024.
Our Recommended Online Casinos Reviewed
Three sites top the list of the best WA online casinos. Below are the areas where each of these gaming sites excels.
Best WA Site for Slots & Other Games
DuckyLuck Casino‘s game selection covers all the bases and offers a well-rounded experience.
Besides slots, you can play live dealer, video poker, table, and specialty games. The table games section is especially notable thanks to unique titles like Dragon Roulette, Ride ’em Poker, and Rolling Stack Blackjack.
This site uses eight software providers to supply its games, ensuring you get plenty of game styles.
Top Features
- Game selection spans several categories besides slots
- DuckyBucks loyalty program
- Eight software providers serve DuckyLuck
Best WA Site for Slots
Red Dog is the top gaming site for online slots for a few reasons. First, it offers over 600 slot games, including hits like Good Girl Bad Girl, Diamond Cherry, and Vintage Vegas.
Red Dog Casino also stands out for its progressive jackpot slots, with prizes worth over $1 million.
You can count on monthly RTP reports for these and other games. The RTP reports make this casino one of the most transparent in Washington.
Top Features
- 600+ slots, including many hits
- User-friendly interface with a clean lobby
- Transparency through monthly RTP reports
Best WA Site for Sports Betting
As I mentioned above, sports betting is still pretty restricted, as WA citizens are only allowed to bet on tribal lands.
Despite these limitations, Washington players can still enjoy reliable sports betting. Our favorite site is Bovada.
They have over 20 years of experience, their site is easy to use, and they have varied banking methods. What’s not to like?
I particularly enjoy the diverse range of betting options. Bovada covers everything from football to esports.
Top Features
- Soft odds compared to other sportsbooks
- Fast payouts – one of the fastest in the industry
- Strong promotions during football season
How to Choose the Best Online Casinos
I focus on five key points of important criteria when reviewing casinos. You can see which elements I consider so you’ll learn how to choose the best WA online casinos below:
Reputation
I only recommend reputable casino sites that offer fair gaming and treat players well. I prefer casinos that have been operating for at least a few years so I can better judge their histories.Fast & Reliable Payments
The best gaming sites process withdrawals in 24 hours or less. However, I also find anywhere from 48-72 hours reasonable.Security & Safety
Our team checks that a casino runs Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption to protect player info.Games Variety
I like casinos that offer 200+ games and cover several categories like slots, table games, live dealer, and specialty.Quality Bonuses
A quality casino bonus is not only big but also offers fair rollover requirements. I especially like bonuses with low-to-medium rollover.
Top Online Casino Games in Washington
Many types of online casino games are available to WA residents and visitors. The following real money online casino games are the most popular.
Online Slots
Real money slots are the most prevalent games available to WA online gamblers. Sites offer games in various formats, including three reels, five reels, cluster pays, cascading reels, and winning ways.
Online Poker
No Washingtonian has ever gotten into trouble for playing online real money poker. Players still enjoy cash games and tournaments in online poker rooms.
Online Blackjack
The minimum stakes for real money blackjack are usually $1 per hand, while the max is $500. The $1 min makes it cheaper to play than at tribal casinos.
Live Dealer Games
WA live dealer casinos offer all the elements of brick-and-mortar gaming—real dealers, tables, and cards—through your desktop or mobile device.
Other Online Casino Games
Slots, blackjack, live dealer tables, and poker are the most popular online casino games in Washington. But you can enjoy other specialty games, including the following.
Online Casino Bonuses
The best Washington casino bonuses are available below. I highly recommend these welcome offers due to their size and fair terms and conditions.
Welcome Bonuses
Large introductory offers that nearly every online gambling site provides to new players.
Free Spin Offers
Promotional deals that give you a set number of free rounds on specific games.
Reload Deals
Get additional bonus cash when you deposit additional funds or top off your account.
Our Favorite Bonuses
$7,500 Welcome Bonus + 150 Spins
The DuckyLuck Casino offers a 500% up to $7,500 + 150 free spins on your first three deposits
You need to deposit at least $25 to qualify for this welcome bonus. Wagering requirements are only 30x, while everything except for craps, live dealer games, and progressives contribute to rollover.
Up to $8,000 Welcome Bonus
Red Dog offers one of the biggest online casino bonuses in Washington, providing a $8,000 Welcome Package. Claim this bonus using the code “PATIO” and deposit at least $10 with Neosurf, $20 with crypto, or $30 with credit cards.
The bonus features 40x wagering requirements, which equals the industry rollover average.
Casino Apps
No Washington casino apps are available because this state does not regulate online gaming. Therefore, the Google Play Store (Android) and App Store (iOS) are unwilling to host WA online casino apps.
However, you can still play mobile casino games in the Evergreen State. Offshore casinos feature in-browser gaming for Android and iOS users. You can play at these mobile casinos in Washington by visiting their sites through your smartphone or tablet.
From here, you register, deposit (optional), and play casino games through a mobile browser like Safari or Chrome.
I have reviewed regulated casino apps in other states, and I have found offshore casino browser play comparable to apps regarding game performance and page loading speed.
Legal Gambling Facts for WA Players
The following facts will help clear up any misconceptions about online casino games in Washington:
- Then-State Gaming Commissioner Rick Day said the commission’s goal was not to arrest small-time online gamblers but to prohibit illegal in-state operators and promoters.
- State authorities have never arrested or prosecuted anybody for gambling online.
- Hundreds of offshore casinos serve Washingtonians despite the felony laws. They are the only way to enjoy online casino games in the Evergreen State.
- The Washington State Gaming Commission (WSGC) does not regulate offshore casinos. For this reason, you should go with previously tried and tested sites.
Washington Gambling Laws Summary
Washington may have tough laws on online gambling, but it is liberal regarding its overall take. This state allows tribal casinos, lotteries, charitable gaming, and sportsbook apps on tribal lands.
Here are the legalities of each type of gambling in the Evergreen State.
| Washington Gambling | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Land-based casinos in Washington | All 29 federally recognized Washington tribes have signed gaming compacts with the state. Twenty-eight of these tribes are currently operating a land-based casino. The minimum age for tribal casinos is 18 years old, but some establishments that serve alcohol require patrons to be 21+. |
| Online Gambling | Washington banned online gambling in March 2006 with the passage of SB 6613. It is the only state that considers gambling online a felony. However, nobody has ever faced prosecution for this crime despite many playing at offshore sites. |
| Online Sports Betting and Land-based | Gov. Jay Inslee officially legalized Washington sports betting by signing HB 2638 in March 2020. This law allows tribal casinos to offer land-based sportsbooks and mobile sports betting. Regarding the latter, tribes can only accept mobile bets on their properties. |
| State Lottery | Washington banned lotteries through Article 2 Sect. 24 in 1889, but it lifted this ban and approved lotteries again in 1982. The Washington Lottery began selling tickets shortly afterward and offers several games today. |
| Charitable Gambling | The Washington State Gaming Commission outlines which non-licensed forms of gambling are legal, noting that charities can offer bingo, raffles, and amusement games twice a year. Revenue from these two gambling events cannot exceed $5,000. |
| Poker | The state approved non-tribal card rooms in 1997. Card rooms can offer poker and some house-banked games like Caribbean stud and blackjack. They can accept a max bet worth up to $400. |
| Horse & Dog Racing | Washington has a limited horse racing scene that centers on Emerald Downs. According to state law, mobile betting on horse racing is legal, while WA banned dog racing in 1996. |
| Fantasy Sports | The Evergreen State treats daily fantasy sports as illegal gambling, which is why no DFS sites serve Washington. |
| Social Gambling | Social dice and card games are legal, provided nobody collects rake from the action. The WSGC notes that March Madness pools and otheroffice betting pools are illegal. |
| Taxes on Gambling Winnings | Washington does not charge a state tax on gambling winnings, although local cities and counties can tax gambling as they see fit. |
Gambling Laws: A Deep Dive
The Evergreen State features a mixture of tribal and commercial gambling.
It offers tribal brick-and-mortar casinos, land-based sportsbooks, and limited mobile sports betting. The commercial side includes horse tracks, lotteries, and card rooms. You can also enjoy social and charitable gaming in this state.
Therefore, Washington offers plenty of live gambling opportunities. You can see the specifics on each legal form of WA gambling below.
Land-Based Casinos
Only federally recognized Native-American tribes can run casinos in Washington. 28 tribal casinos are available, and they can offer Class II and Class III gaming. The first one includes poker and slot machines with bingo-style generators, while Class III refers to table games (e.g., blackjack) and standard slot machines.
The Class III slots in this state connect to a Tribal Lottery System (TLS), which makes them akin to video lottery terminals (VLTs). The TLS is unique because it uses a system of scratch cards to determine slot results.
Muckleshoot (Seattle-Tacoma area) is the biggest casino in Washington.
Originally starting as a tent in 1996, this massive complex features over 3,100 slot machines, 75 table games, and 32 poker tables. Ilani Casino Resort (La Center) is the state’s second-largest casino, with 3,000 slots and 75 tables.
Online Gambling
In 2006, they passed a law that considers gambling online a felony. Section 9.46.240 of the Revised Code notes that anybody who “transmits or receives gambling information” through “the internet” could be guilty of a Class C felony.
However, then-State Gaming Commissioner Rick Day said that arresting online gamblers was “not the focus of their work.”
The commission was focused on deterring national and international operators based within the state.
Consequently, online gambling falls into a grey area.
Horse & Dog Tracks
Emerald Downs (Tacoma area) is the state’s only horse track that regularly features racing events, running thoroughbred races from May until September. Sun Downs features a limited schedule that includes several consecutive days of races each year.
The Evergreen State prohibited dog racing in 1996. Greyhound racing is unlikely to ever return well over a quarter century after being banned.
Bingo, Lottery and Charitable Gambling
Charity gaming laws in Washington allow approved charitable organizations (e.g., educational, fraternal) to run bingo, raffles, and amusement games.
An approved charity can offer two annual gambling events open to its members and the public. They can run a bingo or raffle game for 12 consecutive days. Maximum revenue from the two publicly available events is $5,000 in a calendar year.
The Washington Lottery sells scratch cards, drawing tickets, and multi-jurisdictional tickets (i.e., Mega Millions, Powerball). Some of its draw games include Cash Pop, Lotto, and Hit 5.
Social Gaming at Home
This state allows social dice and home poker games. It’s one of the few states that mentions social dice games as being legal.
The WSCG notes that bars and restaurants can allow social gambling on their premises as long as they don’t collect rakes.
While Washington is lenient on social gaming in some respects, it does ban office betting pools. Most states let you place small bets on March Madness brackets with friends, but not this jurisdiction.
Online Sports Betting and Land-Based
The state House and Senate passed sports betting legislation (HB 2638) by wide margins in March 2020. Gov. Jay Inslee made the matter official with his signature on March 25.
Each tribal casino can offer sports betting on its premises after negotiating an amended compact.
It can also run sports betting apps, provided the app is limited to their tribal property and not state lands. Given the limitations of Washington sportsbook apps, many offshore sportsbooks still thrive in this state.
Casinos in Washington
You can choose from 28 Native American casinos in the Evergreen State. The following map shows where to find each of these casinos.
Top Washington Casinos
- Muckleshoot Casino
- Ilani Casino Resort
- Tulalip Casino Resort
Gambling Summary
- Total Casinos: 28
- Total Race tracks: 1
- Total Poker Rooms: 39
Washington Gambling vs. Neighboring States
The Northwest is not overly accommodating to games of chance, but Washington is an exception because it offers multiple legal forms of gambling. You can see how Washington’s gambling industry compares to its two neighbors in the following table.
| State | Is some form of Gambling Legal? | Legal Gambling Age | Legal Land-Based Casinos | Playing at Online Casinos | Legal Sports Betting | Legal State Lottery | Charitable Gaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | Yes | 18 | Legal | Not Legal | Legal | Legal | Legal |
| Idaho | Yes | 18 | Legal | Grey Area | Not Legal | Legal | Legal |
| Oregon | Yes | 18 – 21 | Legal | Grey Area | Legal | Legal | Legal |
Washington, Idaho, and Oregon offer several types of legal gambling, but they differ in some respects. The Evergreen State is theoretically the toughest on online gambling with its felony penalties. Meanwhile, Idaho and Oregon have yet to take a firm stance.
Oregon and Washington have legalized sports betting in limited capacity. Idaho is among the decreasing minority that has not legalized sports gambling.
All three states feature a tribal monopoly on land-based casinos and have not regulated online casinos. Regarding the latter, online casinos continue accepting ID, OR, and WA players.
A Brief History of Washington Gambling
The Evergreen State has a history of gambling dating back to 1889 when it prohibited lotteries. Below are all of Washington’s gambling milestones since 1889.
1889
Lawmakers ban lotteries through Art. 2, Sect. 24 of the Washington State Constitution.
1933
Washington legalizes parimutuel betting, thus opening the way for legal dog and horse racing betting.
1972
The legislature amends the Revised Code to allow for limited forms of gambling and creates the Washington State Gaming Commission.
1982
Lotteries become legal again after a 93-year ban.
1992
Tribes form a compact with state regulators that lets them offer brick-and-mortar casinos on reservations.
1996
Washington bans dog racing and makes organizing such races a felony.
2006
State Sen. Margarita Prentice introduced SB 6613, which passes and makes operating an online gambling business within the State a felony.
2013
The Poker Players Alliance files initiatives against SB 6613 to no effect.
2020
HB 2638 passes and legalizes sports betting on tribal lands.
2021
Lawmakers introduced SB 5212, which would legalize sports betting at card rooms and racetracks; the bill did not receive a vote.
2022
Maverick Gaming files a lawsuit challenging the tribes’ monopoly on land-based casinos; a federal court dismisses the lawsuit.
2023
The state raises the max bet at card rooms from $300 to $400 on urging from Maverick Gaming (WA card room operator).
Responsible Gambling Initiatives
The Washington State Gaming Commission heads up a strong commitment to responsible gambling. The WSGC created a statewide gambling self-exclusion program in May 2022.
It also promotes several in-state resources for problem gamblers, including the following:
- Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling
- Problem Gambling Task Force
- Western Washington Gamblers Anonymous
Summary: Washington’s Gambling Journey
Washington appears to be a scary place for online gamblers. However, you can do it safely.
Luckily, no one has ever being arrested for gambling online in Washington since the 2006 felony distinction. Online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks keep accepting bets from Washingtonians.
The state did legalize mobile betting on a limited basis in 2020. WA bettors can place mobile wagers when they are on tribal lands. 2021 legislation that would have expanded sports gambling off tribal lands gained no traction.
Washington does not appear close to regulating online gambling. If it does anything, it may amend the current sports betting laws—although this seems unlikely due to the tribal monopoly.
Offshore casinos will keep serving Washington into the distant future. Everything will likely remain the same on the legal front regarding online casinos or poker rooms for at least 5-10 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQs provide more info on the Washington gambling market, covering everything from popular games to responsible gambling.
How do tribal casinos differ from commercial casinos in Washington?
Tribal casinos can only offer gambling on their respective reservations. Although not available in Washington, commercial casinos can be on public lands. Other than the public-vs-private aspect, WA Native-American casinos are no different than commercial establishments. They can offer the same games in Washington, including slot machines, blackjack, and other table games.
Is there any risk of playing at online casinos regulated outside of Washington?
The Washington State Gaming Commission does not regulate offshore gaming. Therefore, you take your chances with offshore casinos because no third party will intervene during disputes. I suggest sticking with the best Washington online casinos so you are dealing with reputable operators.
Who regulates online casinos in Washington?
Washington does not regulate online casinos, but if it did, the WSGC would likely oversee them. The Gaming Commission would accept and review license applications and ensure that all operators follow the relevant rules. Offshore online casinos are currently the only gaming sites available in this state.
