The Best USA Online Poker Sites for 2020. If you live in the United States and play online poker I think you’ll agree that it isn’t easy, no matter what you read elsewhere. The “truth” about legal real money online poker rooms still open to USA players can vary depending on where you look. Find Local Resorts on The Internet. If you live in the state of Washington and you are interested in taking a drive around in order to play slots for real money, you might choose to go to a casino located in Canada or you can take a drive to another state to play slots for real money like Oregon or Idaho.
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Last Updated: January 2, 2020
Washington residents can play online casino games legally and safely for real money. Residents have no fear of fines or prosecution, though they must find trustworthy gaming sites. Washington lawmakers haven’t regulated online gambling yet — and probably won’t for years to come. Washington online gambling laws don’t call for punishment of individual players, so read our honest reviews of online casinos to play for real money with confidence.
Washington state has a lot of regulated land-based casinos, which we discuss in this article. This guide to WA online gambling discusses online casino sites, sportsbooks, and cardrooms. We provide the key laws the Washington State Gaming Commission efforces. Keep reading and you’ll see a Washington online gambling FAQ and a history of gaming laws in the state. Most importantly, we provide reviews of the best online casinos for Washington residents.
Best Washington State Online Casinos, Sportsbooks & Poker Sites 2020
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WA State Gambling Laws
Washington State Gambling Commission
Washington Online Casinos
WA Sports Betting
Washington Online Poker Sites
Online Bingo Halls
Washington State Lottery
Washington Charitable Gambling
Washington Online Gambling FAQ
Timeline of WA Online Gambling Laws
Latest News
Sources
Washington State Gaming Laws
It’s often said that unregulated gambling sectors exist in a legal gray area, but that’s not the case in Washington. Most other states do not refer to online gambling in their laws, but Washington does. In the Washington gambling laws the state prevents all unregulated gambling activities, which also means online gambling.
In 2006, the state of Washington created a law that criminalized online gambling. A 2011 legal challenge to that law saw the law upheld. The consequences of these actions are that Washington state residents can gamble online at any gambling website that is not based in the state, but conforms to the states gambling laws and it is legal.
Betting Online in Washington
Residents of the state of Washington have the ability to sign up and bet for real money at offshore online gaming sites. On this site, we review a list of online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms that accept Washington residents.
These offshore gambling sites are licensed and regulated in foreign countries, but follow the quirky laws of Washington state. Some may not allow players until they are 21, though the legal gambling age of 18 in Washington.
Washington State Gambling Commission
Washington Online Poker Sites For Play Money Full
The Washington State Gambling Commission licenses and regulates all forms of gambling in the state, except lottery betting. The Gambling Commission has authority to set the rules and policies of gaming, such as the Esports industry. Online gambling fits under the same guidelines. The Washington State Gambling Commission works with 35 tribal casinos throughout the state, while many casino cruise ships are based in Washington ports. The Ilani Casino Resort, located only 25 miles from Portland, Oregon, is the latest Native American casino to open in Washington state.
The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut signed a deal in 2015 to manage the Ilani Casino Resort.
Washington Online Casinos
The online casinos we bring to Washington residents are friendly to Washington gamblers and accept them at their sites. No resident of Washington State needs to worry that they are breaking the law when they join these sites because they are located offshore out of U.S. jurisdiction. No US individual player has been prosecuted for gaming online, even in regions where it is illegal.
Washington Online Poker Sites For Play Money Online
The online casino we review have multiple slots, blackjack, baccarat, video poker, roulette, and many other table games. Each has bonuses and promotions these sites supply you with.
Washington Sports Betting
Most forms of sports betting are illegal in Washington state, despite a May 2018 US Supreme Court decision stating that individual states can set their own sportsbook laws. The only form of sports betting that is legal in Washington state “sports pools” and that is only in land-based establishments not online.
The 1961 Federal Wire Act makes it illegal to transmit sports bets across state lines. Washington could legalize single-state sports bets, but has not chosen to do so. Despite the laws, many residents of Washington play on offshore online sportsbooks. The online sportsbooks offer Washington residents live in-play betting, sports scores and schedules, mobile apps, and much more.
Washington Online Poker Sites
Because Washington is so unfriendly to online gambling, poker especially, there are not many poker websites willing to accept Washington residents. However, many unregulated online card rooms accept Washington residents and let them play for real money. These exist as offshore gaming sites, so be careful when signing up at a poker room.
If you’re willing to take the risk, Washingtonians can play at a variety of poker games, poker tournaments, and high stakes cash games. Click the links for these sites to read the review.
Online Bingo Halls
We provide Washington residents with online bingo sites that are as safe as the other gambling websites we bring to this page. Washington residents will enjoy the bingo tournaments and big jackpot payouts to winners. Our bingo sites offer a ton of different bingo cards, playing styles, and tantalizing bonuses for Washington residents who are always accepted at these sites. Choose a site and start collecting jackpots.
Washington State Lottery
The Washington Lottery Commission oversees the state lottery, along with the multi-state lottery associations, in the state. Washington joined the Mega Millions multi-state lottery in 2002 and the Powerball association in 2010. Since then, Washington’s lottery had multiple drawings a week in the hundreds of thousands, millions, and tens of millions of dollars.
It is legal to buy lottery tickets and scratch offs in Washington. Thousands of vendors dot the state in convenience store, gas stations, and other lotto vendor areas.
Washington Charitable Gambling
Washington allows charitable gambling organizations to hold raffles for fundraising purposes. The list of charitable organizations include athletic, civic, educational, agricultural, fraternal, patriotic, political, and social organizations. Also, agricultural fairs, religious societies, churches, and grange organizations also can host raffles for fundraising.
To do so, the organization must receive a license from the state. PTA and ASB organizations usually qualify. Lobby groups, including those with a 501c rating from the IRS, do not qualify. The maximum price per ticket is $100, while no free tickets can be printed. Raffle tickets must be sold by the organization’s members. Those members can’t be paid to sell tickets, unless they are an employee.
Tickets can’t be mailed. They can’t be sold over the phone or Internet. They must be paid in full using cash, check, or credit card. IOUs don’t qualify. A person must be 18 years or older to play in a charity raffle. The minimum age to oversee such a raffle also is 18.
The Washington State Gambling Commission has taken the lead on the US loot box issue — and in 2016 forced Valve to police third-party skin-gambling sites.
Washington State Online Gambling FAQ
Is online gambling legal in Washington?
Betting online is not prosecuted by Washington state prosecutors or law enforcement officials. The Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC) states on its website that all online gambling is illegal, especially online sports betting. What the WSGC doesn’t note is that no Washington resident has ever been fined or prosecuted for online gambling.
The site also notes that online gambling is risky, because players use offshore online casino sites, sportsbooks, and poker rooms. What the WSGC doesn’t mention is those sites are regulated by international gaming agencies, so they are not strictly unregulated. Americans don’t get consumer protections, so WA online bettors must find offshore online gambling sites which are safe, trustworthy, and reliable. Read our reviews to find such sites.
Are online gambling sites illegal in Washington?
As hard as they tried, Washington lawmakers were unable to outlaw online gambling completely. Washington’s laws are more concentrated toward operators of illegal online gambling websites than users. It is a Class C felony to operate an illegal gambling site in the state of Washington. Don’t do it.
Technically, it is illegal to sign up at offshore online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks. Many Washington residents do it and none have been prosecuted for playing for real money online. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future, but you’re safe playing online for now.
What is the legal gambling age in Washington?
The state of Washington has one gambling age for every type of gambling in the state and that is 18. For land-based gambling, players can wager in casinos, poker rooms, and bingo, lottery venues, and horse and dog racetracks while 18 or older. The same might not apply in the online gaming industry.
For online gambling ,the gambling age includes online casinos, sportsbooks, poker, and bingo. Some gambling websites will not accept players unless they are 21 or older. These sites use age verification software to assure compliance.
Are online casinos legal in Washington?
Offshore casinos operate in Washington for those who play at these sites, but a 2006 Washington law bans online gambling. The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) sued Washington to strike down this law in 2011, but the lawsuit was struck down in 2011.
Every other years or so, Washington lawmakers introduce new bills to legalize online gambling. None of those bills gained traction, so it appears online gambling will be technically legal in the near future. That being said, Washington officials do not prosecute residents for gambling online at offshore gaming sites.
Are online sportsbooks legal in Washington?
No. There are no legalized online sportsbooks in Washington, but authorities do not block bettors from joining an offshore online sportsbook. A number of European countries have started blocking domains of illegal offshore operators, but Washington has taken no such steps. Therefore, there are no laws in Washington that prevent residents from joining these sites so you will not face legal consequences.
Are online poker rooms legal in Washington?
Washington unfriendly to online poker players, making it difficult for residents to find a decent online poker website. Sites like Bovada Poker and Ignition Poker accept American players. These offshore card sites are famous and quite active. We give full reviews of Bovada and Ignition above.
Though the law bans online poker, Washington residents who play online poker at our offshore poker sites are not at risk of prosecution. There are no federal or state laws that ban Washington residents from playing online poker, so you do not have to worry these offshore poker websites are legal. Keep track of the lawsuits filed by New Jersey and New Hampshire against a US DOJ opinion that banned interstate online poker. Those cases could decide Washington online poker laws for years to come.
Will I go to jail for gambling online in Washington?
No, recent history shows no sign that will happen. We do not know of any individual online gambling site player going to jail in the state of Washington. State officials might prosecute illegal online gambling operators for Class C felonies if they sign up players in the state, but they won’t go after players.
Keep checking back for more updates. While Washington has never prosecuted online gamblers, that doesn’t mean it might not in the future.
Timeline of Washington Online Gambling Laws
October 5, 2016 | WSGC Orders Valve to Stop Skin-Gambling
The Washington State Gambling Commission ordered Valve, the software design company that owns the Steam gaming website, to stop skin betting on Steam games. Valve sent cease-and-desist letters to 22 third-party skin-gambling sites to comply with WA gaming law. Two weeks later, Valve complained that the WSGC forced it to handle the regulators’ job of policing such activity.
July 23, 2018 | Muckleshoot Casino Launches Online Gambling App
Muckleshoot Casino, a land-based gaming venues in Auburn, Washington, launched a mobile gaming app for smartphones with a workaround to WA gaming laws. The app allows players to purchase games, then redeem winnings at Muckleshoot Casino. Playport Gaming Systems desgined the app, which supports Class II games of chance like Bingo.
Latest News
The state of Washington has draconian online gambling laws, but regulators’ attempts to squelch online casinos have failed. Muckleshoot Casino’s mobile bingo app remains unchallenged in 2019, which could open the door for more Android and iOS gaming apps. Online social gaming sites like Big Fish Games are under siege in Washington’s court system, as several lawsuits have been filed. Free-to-play gaming sites like Huuuge Games, Doubledown Interactive, and Playtika also have been targeted by lawsuits.
Meanwhile, the MSGC focuses mainly on video game loot boxes used by Steam owner, Valve. Games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) and Star Wars: Battlefront are controversial and Washington regulators take the lead nationally on the issue. The Quinault Nation, a Native American tribe that operates Quinault Beach Resort & Casino in Ocean Shores, sued Valve over the betting that takes place on third-party skin-gambling sites. The many lawsuits remain up in the air.
Sources
WSGC Online Gambling Policies
Washington State Gambling Laws
Muckleshoot Casino’s Bingo Gaming App
Why Washington Still Bans Online Gambling?
Social Gaming Sites Hit with Illegal Gambling Lawsuits
WSGC Orders Valve to Police Skin-Gambling
Tribal Casinos Sue Valve Claiming Its Illegal Online Gambling
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