And they’ve told politicians they want no competition infringing on a de facto sports gambling monopoly vital to financing their self-government community programs. ![]() The smaller card rooms – generating 8% – say allowing them sports betting could create $50 million in yearly tax revenue inapplicable to non-taxed tribes and help a COVID-19-battered state economy.īut tribes dismiss that estimate as inflated tenfold. That’s just a sampling of money tossed around in the battle for a sports-betting cut of an overall Washington gambling industry pegged by state enforcement authorities at $3.43 billion – with 82% generated by tribal casinos. Though the lobbyists were a fraction of those expressing an opinion, public disclosure records show their firms were paid $1.16 million last year by those tribes to push their interests with state politicians. Lawmakers at a state Senate committee hearing last week on a bipartisan bill to broaden sports gambling in Washington marveled openly that more than 1,800 people had signed into an online legislative portal to support or oppose the proposal.Īmong 1,041 signees opposing SB 5212 – which would allow card rooms and racetracks to soon offer sports gaming, joining tribal casinos that already have been legalized to do so – were 17 registered lobbyists representing 14 of the state’s 29 federally recognized Native American tribes.
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