Washington’s 7 Cedars Hotel and Casino will begin offering in-person sports betting by August 1, in time for the NFL season, with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe venue set to join the increasing number of sportsbooks already open in the state.
The tribe was among several in the state that negotiated for an expanded compact featuring sports wagering for Class III gaming venues, with a total of 19 tribes approved for the market since Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2638 into law in March 2020.
The tribe is closing in on a five-to-seven-year agreement with a publicly traded sports betting company to operate the sportsbook beginning August 1, casino CEO Jerry Allen said, according to Peninsula Daily News. He expects to have a signed contract “by mid-April.” It’s the third company that 7 Cedars has negotiated with.
The casino is aiming to open by August in order to be up and running for the NFL season, the major league for US sports betting. The 7 Cedars Rainforest Bar and an adjacent performance stage will be removed to make room for the Cedar Sports sportsbook: the tribe is spending about $800,000 to expand its wagering capacity, including two 21- and 22-foot TV screens.
“The NFL is the kingpin. It wears the crown, so to speak,” Allen further told the cited news source. “We’ve ordered sportsbook-style theater seating as a complement to the stage area.”
Additionally, six self-service sports betting kiosks will be made available in the casino and hotel, which is set to ease congestion at the new sportsbook. The casino will be bringing back former 7 Cedars Casino Manager Bill Matsko, who worked in the original management team, from 1995 through 2015 to fill the position of sportsbook manager.
Since sports betting became legal, it has been added to 19 tribal compacts among the state’s 29 tribes. A number of them have already launched operations. State rules prohibit bets on games offered or sponsored by a Washington collegiate institution, although sportsbooks may take bets on other college games.
Snoqualmie Casino
Snoqualmie Casino was the first to begin taking bets in Washington, debuting the market in September last year. The casino also boasts the first sportsbook app, which went live in December.
Since then, others have joined the action, including Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Angel of the Winds Casino Resort in Arlington, Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Clearwater Casino in Suquamish, Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn, Chewelah Casino in Chewelah, and Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights.
In addition to prohibiting bets on in-state collegiate events, rules state guests must be 18 or more to place sports bets, and casinos must use a geofence to ensure mobile sports wagering occurs only within the venue’s premises.
