The Stillaguamish and Kalispel tribes celebrated the launch of sports betting at their respective casinos, following the introduction in September of sports betting at the Snoqualmie Tribe Casino.

In total, 16 Washington tribes have received approval to add sports betting, and more announcements from other tribal casinos are expected shortly.

Rebecca george, executive director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA), said, “The launch of sports betting at a second and third tribal casino in Washington State is an important development for the tribes of Washington State, who depend on gambling revenues to fund essential services for the family. tribal communities and which are an essential part of tribes’ ongoing work to build tribal communities and empower self-reliance.

Sports betting started last Wednesday at Angel of the Winds in Arlington and opened to the general public this weekend at Northern Quest in Airway Heights, outside Spokane. The launches, said George, offer major benefits not only for tribal members, but for local communities who benefit from the hundreds of jobs and substantial economic activity that tribal games create.

“The revenues from tribal games have demonstrated their ability to significantly boost the overall economy of communities in Washington State,” she noted. “And the public can be assured that the addition of sports betting at these well-established casinos will be tightly regulated and managed responsibly.”

She added, “Tribal games have been proven successful for 30 years in Washington State, and all participating tribes have been careful to move forward with the addition of sports betting. The 2020 decision by the Washington State Legislature, with a bipartisan qualified majority, to approve sports betting at tribal casinos is further confirmed by this week’s developments.

“While more sports betting operations will open up in the coming months at other tribal casinos, responsible adults in Washington state will now have the option of engaging in sports betting, and this will continue. will produce without massive expansion of the game into our neighborhoods and local communities, and that’s exactly the right balance.