FanDuel Teams With Washington Tribe for Retail Sports Betting

FanDuel and Port Madison Enterprises announced Tuesday plans to bring a retail sportsbook to the state of Washington, where FanDuel will partner with the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, which is a short ferry ride from Seattle.

In early September, tribal casinos in Washington received approval from the U.S. Department of Interior and said sports betting would soon launch at the casinos. The first bet in Washington was placed at the Snoqualmie Casino by former Seattle SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp on Sept. 9, the start of the NFL season.

The FanDuel Sportsbook will have 17 TVs to feature all games and will include 32-foot x 9-foot high-definition video wall and club chair seating, according to a news release. There will be three live betting windows and 12 self-service betting terminal kiosks to start.

Additionally, three self-service betting kiosks will be available in the casino’s Beach Rock Music and Sports Lounge. It has 11 TVs, including a 24.5-foot x 11.5-foot screen and seating for more than 250.

“We are so pleased with the recent addition of sports wagering to our gaming compact, making sports betting legal in the state for the first time,” Leonard Forsman, chairman of the Suquamish Tribe, said in the release. “Revenue from sports wagering will help support the Suquamish Tribe’s important governmental services offered to both tribal members and the local non-tribal community.”

The sportsbook should open in time to capture some of the NFL season. According to the American Gaming Association, NFL betting will see a big increase in 2021.

“We are excited to partner with Port Madison Enterprises and the Suquamish Tribe to bring America’s No. 1 sportsbook to the state of Washington,” Keith Wall, vice president of retail for FanDuel Group, said in the release. “The Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort will be a truly impressive location for the West Coast expansion of our FanDuel Sportsbook retail operations.”

The Road to Washington Sports Betting

Gov. Jay Inslee in late March signed the bill legalizing sports betting in the state's tribal casinos.

In June, the Washington State Gambling Commission approved the necessary amendments to gaming compacts for 15 tribes seeking to offer sports betting at their casinos.

The commission in late July gave its approval to sports betting rules and began the licensing process. In-person registration for new online wagering accounts is required at the casinos and betting on in-state colleges is prohibited.

International Gaming Technology (IGT) in mid-July partnered with the Snoqualmie Casino  to provide sports betting technology for retail and on-site only mobile sports wagering at the casino. That led to the first bet being placed on Sept. 9.