On February 25, a bill that would allow tribal casinos in Washington State to offer sports betting was approved by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. With that succesful vote, House Bill 2638 will now head to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for one more approval before a potential vote in the State Senate.

This bill would allow Washingtonians to place bets on both professional and college sporting events at the state’s 29 tribal casinos. But not all betting would be permitted: wagering on Washington State college sporting action, both public and private, would be prohibited.

A 60% majority is required to pass the bill in the Senate. The bill previously passed the State House by a decisive 83-14 vote.

“This is a really important small step into this new world of sports gaming,” explained State Rep. Strom Peterson, who was one of the original sponsors of the bill.