What Types Of Sports Betting Are Legal?
While the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was recently overturned by the Supreme Court (with three anti-rights idiots dissenting), there is still no sign that the state legislature will hold hearings on a sports betting law in the near future. The earliest possible date that Las Vegas-style sports wagering would become legal in the state is sometime in 2019, but – with the status of gambling in the region being primarily controlled by Native American tribal casinos – there is no way to know exactly when and where comprehensive sports betting will be available in the state. That said, there is actually one type of sports betting that is legal in Washington that you can enjoy in the meantime.
From WA’s Sports Wagering FAQ:
“100 square sports pool boards...[are] the only type of sports betting allowed in Washington State...as long as the board is based on a single athletic event, the board is divided into 100 equal squares, numbers representing game scores are randomly assigned to squares, and you must charge no more than one dollar per square. Only one sports board is allowed per sporting event per business or party.”
Well, at least it’s something, right?
Just kidding.
This “100 square sports pool” stuff is complete nonsense, and it seems unenforceable besides. However, since businesses can offer these sorts of games, there is potential to go out and have a good time every once in a while with this kind of chance-based gambling. Unfortunately, for any other kind of sports betting, you have to keep it private and social (meaning there is no house take), or you have to use an illegal underground bookie to handle your wagers.
SportsBettingWashington.com knows for most WA residents, these options are limitedly useful (i.e. completely useless), and they sort of suck the joy out of wagering on your favorite teams. Fortunately, however, folks in Washington can still wager on every aspect of their top teams and players by using a legal online sportsbook like Bovada, BetOnline, SportsBetting, 5Dimes, and other reputable, reliable Internet bookmakers.
And since there’s really no telling when legal sports betting will come to Washington state itself, there’s no reason not to sign up at one or more of these services while you wait for your backwards state to get with the program.
Best Washington Sports Betting Sites - 100% Trusted + Safe |