Senate Bill 6137 - Regulated Sports Wagering Industry (Washington, 2026 Regular Session)

Summary

Senate Bill 6137 (S-3887.1), State of Washington, 69th Legislature, 2026 Regular Session, by Senators Cortes, Nobles, Saldaña, Stanford, and Wellman, read first time 01/14/26 and referred to the Committee on Business, Trade & Economic Development. The act relates to bolstering the regulated sports wagering industry and amends RCW 9.46.038, 9.46.0364, and 9.46.0368. Its first section states that the legislature intends to bolster the regulated sports wagering industry and that sports wagering in Washington is currently offered exclusively by tribal casinos. The text may be known and cited as the sports wagering integrity act.

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Full text

     S-3887.1

                                 SENATE BILL 6137


     State of Washington         69th Legislature      2026 Regular Session

     By Senators Cortes, Nobles, Saldaña, Stanford, and Wellman

     Read first time 01/14/26.   Referred to Committee on Business, Trade &
     Economic Development.




1        AN ACT Relating to      bolstering the regulated sports wagering
2    industry; amending RCW      9.46.038, 9.46.0364, and 9.46.0368; and
3    creating new sections.


 4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:


 5       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 1.   The state has long prohibited all forms
 6   and means of gambling except where carefully and specifically
 7   authorized and regulated. The legislature intends to bolster the
 8   regulated sports wagering industry. Currently, sports wagering in
 9   Washington is offered exclusively by tribal casinos subject to gaming
10   compacts entered pursuant to the Indian gaming regulatory act. This
11   offering has proven to meet the state's policy of offering gambling
12   only in a highly regulated environment that is safe for the public.


13       Sec. 2.   RCW 9.46.038 and 2020 c 127 s 11 are each amended to
14   read as follows:
15       (1)(a) For purposes of this chapter, "sports wagering" means the
16   business of accepting wagers on any of the following sporting events,
17   athletic events, or competitions by any system or method of wagering:
18       (i) A professional sport or athletic event;
19       (ii) A collegiate sport or athletic event;
20       (iii) An Olympic or international sports competition or event;
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 1       (iv) An electronic sports or esports competition or event;
 2       (v) A combination of sporting events, athletic events, or
 3   competitions listed in (a)(i) through (iv) of this subsection (1); or
 4       (vi) A portion of any sporting event, athletic event, or
 5   competition listed in (a)(i) through (iv) of this subsection (1).
 6       (b) Sports wagering does not include the business of accepting
 7   wagers on horse racing authorized pursuant to chapter 67.16 RCW.
 8       (2) For purposes of this section:
 9       (a) "Collegiate sport or athletic event" means a sport or
10   athletic event offered or sponsored by, or played in connection with,
11   a public or private institution that offers education services beyond
12   the secondary level((, other than such an institution that is located
13   within the state of Washington)). Sports wagering may not be
14   conducted on the performance or nonperformance of any specifically
15   named individual participant in any collegiate sport or athletic
16   event who is enrolled in an educational institution located within
17   the state of Washington.
18       (b) "Electronic or esports event" means a live event or
19   tournament attended or watched by members of the public where games
20   or matches are contested in real time by players and teams and
21   players or teams can win a prize based on their performance in the
22   live event or tournament.
23       (c) "Professional sport or athletic event" means an event that is
24   not a collegiate sport or athletic event at which two or more persons
25   participate in sports or athletic events and receive compensation in
26   excess of actual expenses for their participation in the event.
27   "Professional sport or athletic event" does not include any minor
28   league sport. Sports wagering may not be conducted on any minor
29   league sport.

30       Sec. 3.   RCW 9.46.0364 and 2020 c 127 s 2 are each amended to
31   read as follows:
32       (1) Upon the request of a federally recognized Indian tribe or
33   tribes in the state of Washington, the tribe's class III gaming
34   compact may be amended pursuant to the Indian gaming regulatory act,
35   25 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq., and RCW 9.46.360 to authorize the tribe
36   to conduct and operate sports wagering on ((its)) Indian lands,
37   provided the amendment addresses: Licensing; fees associated with the
38   gambling commission's regulation of sports wagering; how sports
39   wagering will be conducted, operated, and regulated; issues related
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 1   to criminal enforcement, including money laundering, sport integrity,
 2   and information sharing between the commission and the tribe related
 3   to such enforcement; and responsible and problem gambling. Sports
 4   wagering conducted pursuant to the gaming compact is a gambling
 5   activity authorized by this chapter.
 6       (2) Sports wagering conducted pursuant to the provisions of a
 7   class III gaming compact entered into by a tribe and the state
 8   pursuant to RCW 9.46.360 is authorized bookmaking and is not subject
 9   to civil or criminal penalties pursuant to RCW 9.46.225.


10       Sec. 4.   RCW 9.46.0368 and 2020 c 127 s 9 are each amended to
11   read as follows:
12       The transmission of gambling information over the internet for
13   any sports wagering conducted and operated under this section and RCW
14   9.46.0364 is authorized, provided that the wager may be placed and
15   accepted at a tribe's gaming facility only while the customer placing
16   the wager is physically present on the premises of ((that)) a tribe's
17   gaming facility.


18       NEW SECTION.    Sec. 5.    If any provision of this act or its
19   application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the
20   remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other
21   persons or circumstances is not affected.


22       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 6.   This act may be known and cited as the
23   sports wagering integrity act.

                                  --- END ---




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