Seattle is the home of Washington sports. With teams in three major professional leagues, Seattle can safely be considered a sports town. If you’ve ever been interested in sports betting, these three teams, as well as any other pro or college teams from outside of the state are all available for wagering to Washington residents. Before you go and start placing your bets on your favorite local team, it’s important to educate yourself on the policies and regulations surrounding sports betting in Washington. This guide will serve as a tool in not only explaining how the laws pertaining to sports betting affect Washington residents, but also where you can legally and safely place your bets and which local teams you should bet on.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Washington?
Yes, there are a few options available to Washington residents seeking legally approved sports related gambling. Sports pool boards are permitted within the state’s borders as long as they comply with state regulations. In addidtion, licensed and regulated sports betting through legally sanctioned offshore sportsbooks is available to WA residents and does not violate state and federal gambling laws as long as the bets are placed at a betting destination that is legitimately operating outside of the United States. The sportsbooks we’ve recommended in this guide are all licensed offshore businesses that are operating legally within the industry. There are no federal or state gambling laws that prohibit this type of betting entertainment. You can read more information about relevant sportsbook gambling laws a little further down on the page.
Leading Sports Betting Sites Accepting Washington Residents
When selecting a destination at which to enjoy betting on sports, it is imperative that you focus on sites that are verified to be legitimately operating within the industry and that stand out for the high quality of their betting experience and customer support. All of the sites you see listed on this page have been evaluated by our team of industry professionals, and have been approved as legitimately licensed, regulated and compliance certified destinations that offer premium betting services to Washington sports fans. They utilize an impressive security profile to keep user data safe, and deliver a wide selection of competitive betting lines, odds and paylines.
| Logo | Site Name | Bonus | Rating | USA | Visit Site |
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Betonline Sportsbook | 50% Max $2500 |  |
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Sportsbetting | 75% Max $1000 | |
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Bovada Sportsbook | 50% Max $250 | |
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Federal and State Gambling Laws That Impact Washington Sports Betting Options
There is only one form of state regulated sports betting allowed in Washington. This comes from the Gambling Act of 1973, which authorizes 100 square sports pool boards. Sports pools are allowed under Washington State Law (RCW 9.46.0335) “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.” This law also dictates that only one sports board is allowed per sporting event per business or party.
There are also some federal laws to consider. These are the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the Federal Wire Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which all deal with US-based sports betting. PASPA prevents government entities, like state legislature, from licensing or operating local sports betting in 46 states. The Federal Wire Act prohibits US based online sports betting in the country, and the UIGEA deals with the financial side of sports betting.
The Federal Wire Act pertains to sports betting businesses processing bets online and the UIGEA monitors banks and other financial institutions and how they process gambling related transactions. All of these laws center on US-based sports betting. These offshore sportsbooks that we’ve recommended allow Washington residents to safely and legally place sports bet without going against relevant state and federal laws.
Popular Sports Teams To Bet On In Washington
The Seattle Seahawks are arguably the most well-known of the Seattle Franchises. They are a powerful NFC team that consistently makes the playoffs. The Seattle Mariners make up the state’s MLB presence, though the MLB season doesn’t start for a while. The Seattle Sounders FC are one of the most popular teams in the MLS and feature World Cup star Clint Dempsey. The Sounders have developed quite the following over the years and are a fan favorite.
NFL Teams in WA
MLB Teams in WA
MLS Teams in WA
FAQs About Betting On Sports
Does Washington’s Gambling Act Affect My Eligibility To Place Bets With These Sportsbooks?
No. Washington’s Gambling Act deals with their in-state gambling policies. These rules are for legalized sports betting within Washington’s borders. These offshore sportsbooks that we recommend to Washington residents are legally licensed and operated. They are also designed for American bettors, giving Washington residents a chance to get in on the sports betting action without breaking any laws.
What Types Of Bets Can I Place?
These offshore sportsbooks offer bets on all of the major sports leagues. You can bet on the Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders or any other team in the nation. There are point-spread bets, prop bets, future bets and more. You can even bet on sporting events like races, boxing and MMA. With all of these options, you’ll never run out of potential bets you could place and money you could make.
Are These Offshore Betting Sites Legal?
Not only are these sights legal, they’ve been in the business for at least ten years. These sportsbooks have great reviews and are known for their customer service, reliability and security. All personal and financial information will be kept safe, so you don’t have to worry about the risk of identity theft. These sites aren’t affected by PASPA, the Federal Wire Act and the UIGEA, so there is also no risk of prosecution from betting with these sites.
Do I Need To Enter My Credit Card Information?
Not if you don’t want to. The only time you’d enter your credit card information would be when making a deposit into your account, and even then, that’s only if you select a credit card as your method of deposit.
What Other Deposit Methods Are There?
This depends on the sportsbook that you choose. Most sportsbooks offer Bitcoin, Litecoin, wire transfers, money orders and more as valid forms of deposit. One thing worth noting is that your withdrawal method may be restricted to the same type of deposit method that you chose.
How Do Withdrawals work?
Once you are ready to withdraw, all you have to do is locate your account page. Once there, you will be prompted to select whichever withdrawal method you choose. Again, you may be restricted to the same method that you chose for your deposit. You can check the Terms of Service to see what your options are. In most cases, Bitcoin, wire transfer or by check are your available options.
Do I have to pay taxes on my earnings?
Gambling earnings are considered taxable income, so you will have to report and pay taxes on your earnings. Failure to do so could lead to trouble with the IRS. If you’re fortunate enough to win some money through sports betting, consider yourself lucky and don’t let it go to waste because you try to take shortcuts around paying your taxes.
Are there any teams in Washington that have a chance at winning a Championship in 2017/2018?
The Seattle Seahawks lost in the playoffs this year, narrowly missing out on a chance at an NFC Championship and possible Super Bowl. The Seahawks aren’t going to let that loss get to their heads next season, as they have been a contender for quite a few seasons now. They will certainly be a team to look out for in the next season. As far as the Mariners and Sounders go, both leagues are in their preseason runs, so the safe move would be to monitor their progress and see how they dive into the regular season.