Washington Sports Betting Laws May Be Loosening

The complexion of Washington sports betting appears headed toward major change.

Current gaming laws in The Evergreen State stipulate that all sports must be placed on tribal land, and that residents are not permitted to place wagers on in-state collegiate teams. A new House Bill seeks to reverse one of these rules. And no, it is not the one that you think.

Despite many clamoring for online sports betting in Washington to be legalized, there is not presently a push to deviate from the on-site, tribal-property-only model. However, certain legislators are trying to green light residents betting on in-state collegiate teams like the Washington Huskies and Washington Cougars.

Representative Sharlett Mena is the primary sponsor for House Bill 2205 (HB 2205), which argues in favor of allowing local college team bets because the laws, as currently constituted, don’t effectively dissuade people from skirting them. “In the absence of a legal option, it hasn't stopped sports betting, it simply pushed it into the shadow where college sports betting already happens through offshore and illegal markets,” Mena says (via FOX 13 in Seattle). “This bill would bring this activity into our regulatory structure.”

This is a familiar stance to take. Heck, it’s similar to the one used to legalize Washington sports betting in the first place. Advocates of gambling typically believe that regulated markets offer more consumer safety than nonexistent markets. The latter, to them, merely invites people to explore alternatives, many of which are not state or federally regulated and don’t offer any protection for its customers.

Like all matters of Washington sports betting, opinions of HB 2205 remain split. As such, it is unclear at the moment whether it has the juice to become a law.

New Washington Sports Betting Bill Attempts to Address One Major Concern

The response to HB 2205 predominantly focused on the dangers it poses to collegiate athletes. As multiple studies have found, both in-person and remote harassment increases in markets that permit betting on college football and other sports.

This issue assumes many different forms. Generally, though, concern refers to aggrieved bettors who lose a wager spewing vitriol and making outlandish, often threatening comments toward student athletes.

Representative Mena and other supporters of HB 2205 believe they have found the solution: placing a ban on all in-state college prop bets. While not everyone believes this will suffice, the University of Washington has offered its institutional blessing. Yet, Washington State University has come out to speak against it. Consider the wide range of responses below, courtesy of FOX 13’s Hana Kim:

"’Our focus is the safety of our students, which is why it's critically important to us that the ban on prop betting, individual player’s performance, remains in the bill,’ UW Director Morgan Hickel said. ’Unfortunately, there’s nothing in this bill but trouble for WSU and our student athletes, who are incredibly accessible on campus and online,’ WSU Director of State Relations Chris Mullick said.

“WSU officials told lawmakers that student athletes already face online harassment connected to gambling.’We did receive screenshots of two messages received by somebody on our football team that were extremely derogatory, basically implied he should harm himself, used a number of slurs and insults. They were rants,’ WSU Deputy Director of Athletics Brad Corbin said.’”

Deputy Director Corbin’s comments, in particular, touch a broader issue for sports betting in the United States at large. The fallout from legalized gambling tends to spotlight the risks of addiction and the threat of rigged events. It's only now beginning to grapple with the toll taken on athletes.

Is Washington Better Set Up to Circumvent the Fallout from College Sports Betting?

It is a positive development that this Washington sports betting discussion continues to take place. Especially with regards to college sports.

Make no mistake, derogatory comments toward pro athletes shouldn’t be permitted. They are reprehensible no matter which level of sport we’re talking about. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of collegiate athletes aren’t paid like pros. Though lucrative compensation shouldn’t allow them to become a human punching bag, it can at least be viewed as a trade-off. Student-athletes, however, aren’t willing to make that trade. The option isn’t available to them.

The college sports betting prop ban could help dilute the unintended impact of HB 2205. Individualized wagers tend to solicit the strongest, most unhinged responses. Removing those from the table adds a layer of insulation.

Indeed, it will not solve everything. We are talking about an inherent downside of sports betting. Yet, the Washington sports betting ban on college props could go further than it would in other places. Remember, The Evergreen State only allows wagering on tribal lands. The vast majority of sports bets placed in the United States are not processed online. This caps the volume of wagers by default. In turn, it also caps the amount of extreme responses to which athletes should be subject.

To what end that matters is debatable. As college officials point out, student-athletes already get harassed online. Anyone who lost an event-outcome wager can still take it upon themselves to direct negative comments toward collegiate athletes. Most of these issues may originate from out-of-state customers. But adding Washingtonians to the fold guarantees they’ll increase by some measure.

All of which makes the fate of HB 2205 uncertain. Answers may not come anytime soon, either. Though it was passed by the House Committee, it still has to make it through the Rules Committee. We’ll have a better idea where it stands after they weigh in.

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