The terms of gambling legally as laid out by the Washington State legislature are confusing at best. While it’s true that RCW 9.46.0237 defines gambling as “staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the person's control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that the person or someone else will receive. Below you can see penalties for violating Washington’s gambling laws: Misdemeanor – Up to 90 days in county jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Gross Misdemeanor – Up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. Class C Felony – Up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. Washington State has the strictest online gambling laws in the U.S. Not only is operating an online gambling site that accepts Washington State residents illegal, it is also unlawful for a player based in Washington State to make a wager over the internet. Either act is a Class C felony. Washington Laws. The gambling law in Washington does not permit web-based gambling. Those who try to gamble on the internet are committing a felony. Players and businesses must adhere to this rule. Overseas websites that don’t care about state laws tend to not touch Washington. Pennsylvania online gambling has reached biggest success within public, promoting numerous events and games. It is 100% legal and secure. If Vegas is mecca for rich people, spending thousands on hotel, planes and restaurants, we can call PA online gambling is a starting point for everyone.

If you live in the state of Washington, you will find that players are able to access a number of gambling sites regardless of how the law feels about it. There are sportsbooks, poker rooms, casinos and more that will accept you regardless of where you live. We do not condone breaking the law, so we cannot recommend you actually follow our advice. We have made this information available simply in order for players to not risk being ripped off solely by joining up with the wrong gambling site. Below you can find the best 2021 legal online gambling sites for Washington residents.

Online Gambling Age For Washington Residents

If looking to gamble online in Washington legally, you need to be at least 18 years old. Some brick-and-mortar casinos in the state may require some gamblers to be 21 to enter, but the majority of sites accepting Washington residents only require users to be 18 years or older. If you are not at least 18 years old do not try to gamble in person or online in Washington as it could result in a permanent ban from gambling operators and local law enforcement stepping in with charges.

Washington Online Gambling Laws

Washington’s online gambling laws are among the strictest in the United States. Washington is one of the few states that has legislation written that directly outlaws online gambling. Sadly, Washington State is not very friendly to online gambling. Unfortunately, there are written laws pertaining to online gambling in the state of Washington. According to RCW 9.46.240, he or she who 'knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore, the Internet, a telecommunications transmission system, or similar means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information shall be guilty of a class C felony…”

This effectively means that you will be committing a Class C Felony for gambling online. Some other class C felonies? Possession of child pornography and arson. So, by gambling online, you are committing a crime with the same penalties that are associated with burning down a building or watching illicit activities involving children. Of course, there is a key difference with online gambling: The state doesn’t enforce these laws (because, as you can see, it obviously has more serious matters to handle).

Legalized sports betting has yet to launch in Washington, but the fact that legislation was passed is a positive sign for the gambling industry in the state as a whole. In Washington, the passing of ESHB 2638 made sports betting legal only at tribal gaming facilities. As time goes on and the sports betting industry in Washington starts to bring in revenue, expect the online gambling laws in the Evergreen State to slowly but surely make sure Washington is among the top gambling destinations on the West Coast.

Gambling Sites That Accept Washington Residents

Despite Washington’s strict online gambling laws there still are viable legal options available to gamblers in the Evergreen State. Whether looking to use the internet to gamble on poker, bingo, horse racing, or classic casino games there are legal gambling sites accepting players from the state of Washington. The fact that these gambling sites aren’t located in the US doesn’t stop them from providing a safe and secure playing environment for Washington residents. Every gambling site we have listed on this page has been reliable for decades.

Bovada: Has Online Casino Play For Washington Players

With some sports in their offseason preparing for next season, there are still ways bettors can make a lot of money on Bovada. You still have the online casino which produces a lot of winners as well. Even though these sporting events had different options, so does the online casino on Bovada. Having the chance to have a live dealer is one and they also have different slot games that bettors can capitalize on. All fun but also beneficial. This makes having a Bovada account worth it because there are so many ways where you can bet and earn money. There is nothing wrong with earning another paycheck and Bovada gives its users all kinds of ways to do that. Go To Bovada!

50% - $250 BONUS!

No DE, MD, NJ, NV

SportsBetting: The Best Place For Betting On The Pac-12

One gambling site that we can tell you is worth using is SportsBetting. This site has not yet pulled out of Washington state, deciding that it is safe and legal for WA residents to use. And boy do they use it! Over 100,000 Washington gamblers call SportsBetting home, with new members signing up all the time. SportsBetting gamblers can join from Washington, and nobody has ever been legally penalized for doing so in over two decades of action. New WA members who sign up now can receive SportsBetting’s 50% welcome match bonus worth up to $1000.

If you do decide to join SportsBetting, deposits can be made with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, wire transfers, money orders, cashier’s checks, and prepaid cards. Even better, of course, is the fact that SportsBetting now also accepts Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, DASH, Ethereum, and Litecoin banking options. Indeed, bettors who use cryptocurrency to make deposits at SportsBetting can get $4500 in early-bird bonuses to put towards their bankrolls.

Overall, SportsBetting has given their players access to one of the most enjoyable gambling experiences on the Internet, and we can tell you that this service one of the most impressive gambling sites online, despite the laws that are in place. Go To Sportsbetting.ag

50% - $1,000

ALL STATES

Online Casinos That Accept Washington Residents

The limited number of land-based casinos in Washington has forced many residents to shift to online casinos. In searching for an online casino, Washington residents have a sea of options at their disposal as numerous online casinos accept gamblers based in the state.

Online Sports Betting Sites That Accept Washington Residents

The best WA sportsbooks are online betting sites like Bovada, BetOnline, SportsBetting, and MyBookie. These are the top Internet sportsbooks in the world, and they all take Washington residents as customers. Joining is fast, secure, and free, and payouts are 100% guaranteed. You definitely should never use these sites for all your comprehensive WA sports betting needs.

The best sportsbooks we don’t recommend using (ha!) are online betting sites like Bovada, BetOnline, SportsBetting, 5Dimes, BetDSI, and BookMaker. These are the top Internet sportsbooks in the world, and they all take Washington residents as customers. Joining is fast, secure, and free, and payouts are 100% guaranteed. You definitely should never use these sites for all your comprehensive WA sports betting needs. However, if you choose to go ahead and sign up with these books, we certainly won’t tell.

Online Poker Sites That Accept Washington Residents

Even though many of the largest Internet poker rooms have pulled out from the Washington Market, you will find that you do still have options. For Washington residents, we can tell you that there are still several poker rooms that enable you to participate without problems. The sportsbooks listed above tend to offer the best live-deal poker experiences, and you can play against real competitors. However, other sites that are more casino-oriented (Bovada, Slots.lv, and Café Casino), offer all kinds of themed video poker. Between these options, you are sure to find the right kind of card game for you.

Online Bingo Sites That Accept Washington Players

Online bingo has become one of the fastest-growing ways to gamble at online casinos. Now, most sites have a variety of ways to play bingo using the internet. Bingo players in Washington don’t even have to leave the comfort of their homes to play 80-ball or 30-ball bingo at Bovada. Even if wanting to play different styles of bingo from across the world, Bovada allows you to do so with American, South American, and European game types to choose from.

Is Online Gambling Legal In Washington?

We have had many ask us if online gambling is legal in Washington, and we have bad news - it is not. Of course, the state doesn’t appear to have ever bothered to enforce this restriction, and there is no record of any WA resident ever being arrested or even fined for betting over the Internet. While it is not likely that you will be the first, it remains a remote possibility. You’re more likely to be struck by lightning, but it’s good to understand your risks. That’s what gambling is all about, after all.

Washington is one of the few states in the US that has actually drafted and passed legislation that prohibits Internet gambling. The law, which can be found in RCW 9.46 of the state’s statutes, states that anyone who facilitates gambling over the Internet is in violation of the law. Reading this, and taking into account the authority that the state of Washington has, we have come to the opinion that this law restricts any actions that online gambling sites located in the state of Washington might take. In other words, this type of law restricts sportsbook and casino operators, not gamblers themselves.

This law does not, of course, have the jurisdiction to forbid operators of online, offshore gambling sites from facilitating gambling. While this law is in effect, however, we urge caution. But we don’t believe that it prohibits the use of an online gambling site that is located in another country, simply because it doesn’t have the authority to do so. There has never been a case of a Washington resident being charged with, let alone arrested for, online gambling when using an overseas, online gambling site.

Is It Safe To Gamble Online In Washington?

Washington is really strict on any person or business that attempts to offer online gambling within their state. The sites we have listed on this page get around this because they are not even based in the US. And, while they aren't regulated in the US, they are regulated outside of the country under various gaming licenses. Washington residents can know that they are safe when gambling with these sites because all have great reputations for paying players on time as well as friendly gambling deposit options.

Are Online Casinos Legal In Washington?

So if you want to know if online casinos are legal in Washington, you will not find that they technically are not. The laws of the land have made it so you are not supposed to gamble online, which means you are not going to be able to participate in these online casinos. While we wish this would change (and while it almost certainly will going forward), you are simply not going to be able to participate in the fun from a formally legal perspective. Of course, since WA doesn’t actually bother to enforce this archaic law, you can do as thou wilt without fear of legal recourse.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Washington?

As with online casinos, there is no legal online sports betting in Washington on a purely technical basis. We are sad that this is true, but you cannot legally participate in sports betting over the Internet. This has even caused some online sportsbooks to cease accepting residents from the state of Washington. Of course, all the top books – with the best legal teams who understand the industry’s laws better than anyone – still accept WA residents, and that alone should tell you that signing up at and using these sites is basically a risk-free proposition.

Is Online Poker Legal In Washington?

Legislation has yet to be passed in Washington to regulate online poker. Until this happens, for Washington residents to remain in compliance with the law, they must only use the poker sites featured on this webpage. These sites are 100% legal to use because they operate outside of the jurisdiction of Washington law. Any of the poker sites we recommend on this page are the only legal online poker options in Washington.

Can I bet On Horse Racing In Washington?

Yes, you can bet on horse racing in Washington. There are a number of horse racing tracks throughout the state that have been licensed to accept pari-mutuel wagers on both races taking place at their locations and on simulcast wagering. Simulcast wagering is betting on horse races that are taking place out of the state and being broadcast to your track. Horse racing betting can be done at land-based tracks and at online racebooks, so long as those racebooks are not US-based books. Fortunately, all the top sportsbooks listed here also offer robust national and international Thoroughbred racebooks for fans of the ponies.

Best Funding Methods For Washington Online Gambling Sites

There are a number of ways to fund your online account. Some are extremely fast, while others are more focused on having high deposit limits. No matter which method you use, they’ll all achieve the same goal – money in your account so you can start betting. Below are the top three funding methods available for Washington bettors.

• Bitcoin
• Credit Cards
• Money Order

Mobile Washington Gambling Apps

One of the best perks of using online, offshore gambling sites is their mobile betting features. These allow you to access your favorite sites from your iPhone, iPad, Android, Amazon Fire, or Windows Mobile device, all without having to download anything and without cutting out any of the great features you have come to expect through the standard desktop experience. Mobile Washington gambling can be done through any of the sites recommended on this page, so be sure to check them out.

Washington Gambling FAQ’s

Is It Legal To Bet On Horse Racing Online In The US?

The simple answer is yes, it is legal to bet on horse racing betting online in the US. While certain states, like Washington, have passed laws which prohibit how local racebooks may operate, they do not have the jurisdiction to prevent the usage of online horse racing betting sites that are based in other countries. These sites are regulated by their own authorities, like a gaming commission, and are also licensed by the proper authorities.

Washington State Online Gambling Laws Pennsylvania

Do The Racebooks Above Offer Horse Racing Futures, Props, and Matchups?

All of the racebooks we recommend offer large selections of horse racing futures, props, and even matchups. You’ll be able to find all of them before you even sign up for an account, giving you a chance to see the odds before you sign up with the book. On top of all that, you’ll also have access to their daily free picks and their expert team of writers, who publish articles throughout the horse racing season and leading up to big events. Everything you need for successful horse racing betting can be found at the racebooks above.

Does My Payout Come Back Using The Same Deposit Method I Made?

It doesn’t have to, and in the case of credit card deposits, it literally can’t. When requesting a payout, unless the book has specifically stated that the method of deposit will have to match the method of withdrawal (which only applies when certain bonuses are in effect), it does not have to be the same. Most sites will allow you to choose how you withdraw winnings from your account. Each gambling site is different, though, so be sure to read the fine print before committing to a certain method. That said, our favorite withdrawal method is to simply use Bitcoin, as you can receive your funds the same day, withdrawal limits are high, and there are no added fees.

Will I go to jail for online gambling in Washington?

Asking if you will go to jail for online gambling is a tough question. While we have never heard of an arrest, we can tell you that it is a technical possibility. Kind of like getting hit by a meteor is a technical possibility (albeit that’s actually happened to a few people in the past). The law is very clear - if you gamble online, you could potentially be arrested. The penalties are hardly befitting of the 'crime,' so you may not want to take the risk, but the risk itself is laughably tiny, and you probably break more laws every day before breakfast without even thinking about it.

Washington State is something of a special case when it comes to online poker in the United States. Poker players in Washington have to contend with a legal state of affairs that is both quite restrictive and completely unique.

We’ll discuss that state of affairs, along with the likely future of online poker in Washington, in this Guide to Online Poker in Washington State.

Latest Washington Online Poker Updates

Washington is one of the few states in America that specifically calls out online poker as a crime. Worse, it designates the activity as a felony.

In 2006, then-State Senator Margarita Prentice sponsored a bill to make online poker a felony with a $10K fine or five-year prison sentence as the penalty. While most states threatened to penalize online gambling operators, Prentice wanted Washington to punish players. She got her wish that June when then-Governor Christine Gregoire signed the bill into law. Online poker became a Class C felony.

A Seattle attorney named Lee Rousso sued the state in 2008 over the right to play poker online. Despite numerous appeals and support from the then-influential Poker Players Alliance, the case was eventually rejected by the Washington State Supreme Court in 2010.

In the years that followed, there was talk of new bills to overturn the online poker law, but they never progressed through the legislature. There was little support to address the issue, especially after the State Supreme Court ruling.

Showing the propensity of Washington for overreacting to online gambling, other court cases have put free-play online gaming in the spotlight. Big Fish, an online casino game developer based in Seattle and operating since 2002, is fighting players in court who declare that the option to buy play-money chips in Big Fish’s online games violate the state laws.

Big Fish lost one of the cases in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016, essentially ruling that even free-play online games were illegal for players in that state. That decision even prompted PokerStars to withdraw its free online poker website from Washington players.

Lawmakers made an attempt in 2019 to address sports betting, but the tribal entities that operate the state’s casinos and pushed for the anti-online poker law also expressed opposition to sports betting. So far, there has been no progress beyond discussions and the occasional hearing.

Is Online Poker Legal in Washington?

While all online poker players should be familiar with their state laws with regards to gambling, Washington State online poker players have a special motivation for learning more about the law as Washington is one of the few states that specifically singles out online gambling.

Let’s talk more about that aspect of, and a handful of other important points from, Washington State gambling law:

Let’s start off by exploring how Washington State defines the act of gambling. There are a few components to the definition, the first of which is found in Section 9.46.0237:

“”Gambling,” as used in this chapter, means staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the person’s control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that the person or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”

That’s basically a boilerplate definition of gambling, and it’s extended by Washington’s definition of “contest of chance” found in Section 9.46.0237. Basically, if chance plays a “material” role in the outcome of an event, then that event is a contest of chance regardless of whether or not there is also a skill component.

A number of activities are given a pass from Washington State gambling laws. Regulated forms of gambling are exempt, as are various forms of charitable gambling.

Social gambling is legal in the state of Washington (Section 9.46.0265).

You’ll see repeated references to “professional gambling” in Washington State law. Despite what the term might suggest to you, under Washington law it refers to involvement in the business or operational side of illegal gambling – not gambling professionally.

You’ve probably heard a good deal about Washington State having a law that makes playing online poker illegal. When people reference that, they’re generally talking about Section 9.46.240, which makes it a felony for anyone who

“knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore, the Internet, a telecommunications transmission system, or similar means.”

Will Washington Regulate Online Poker?

This remains a very complicated question that is largely dependent on how regulated online gambling rolls out in the rest of the United States. Specifically, a scenario that gives tribal interests sufficient motivation to embrace online poker and online gambling is the most positive one for those who want to see such games regulated in Washington.

Until some of the major stakeholders in Washington’s gaming industry develop a greater interested in regulated online poker, it seems as if the state will continue to hold its title as one of the least hospitable places for online poker players.

How Can I Play Online Poker From Washington State?

As previously mentioned, playing online poker in Washington can be potentially problematic for WA poker players. For one thing, very few sites accept players from Washington State . For another, players could be risking criminal action by participating in some forms of online poker.

The solution is either to play poker for play chips only, or to try one of the WA online poker sites that offer a unique format – such as subscription poker – that allow them to conduct business in compliance with the law of Washington State.

Top Online Poker Sites for Washington

Because of the legal situation in Washington State, residents must be very selective about the online poker sites that they use. It’s perfectly legal to access sites for play-money play, or to patronize sites that are structured in a way that comports with Washington law. If that’s the sort of WA online poker room you’re looking for, here are our picks for the top poker sites .

All Poker and Gambling Laws by State

• The state of Washington has not exactly minced words with regard to internet gambling. It is one of few states that explicitly forbids online poker and casino games, but it goes even further to deem offering or playing games online a criminal offense. The state code and Washington State Gambling

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• Washington’s gambling stance is complicated. There is a state lottery and legal charitable gaming activities like bingo, and there are Native American gaming facilities on tribal lands, but other forms of gambling are not only discouraged, they are criminalized. Real-money online poker and other internet games, for example, are specifically

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• Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval recently signed an electronic sports bill that legalizes eSports betting events in the state. The bill extends the current Nevada sports wagering laws to include eSports betting events. The new law takes effect on July 1. Senate Bill 240 passed in the Nevada legislature by wide

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• Chris Cornell, the lead singer for Soundgarden and Audioslave, died of an apparent suicide at the MGM Grand Detroit. The 52-year old icon of the grunge rock era was found dead overnight in his room at the casino-hotel. The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined Cornell’s death to be suicide by

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Washington Gambling Facts

Washington State has one of the most varied and complex regulated gambling menus of any state in America. It starts with the state-backed lottery and extends into tribal casinos. Those options share the space with Washington’s commercial casinos, card rooms and race tracks.

Things get more confusing when you start looking into charitable gambling in Washington State. Multiple forms are permitted, some of which require a license and some of which do not. Depending on your ability to obtain a license, your organization could offer games ranging from bingo to poker to full-blown casino nights.

Things are quite a bit simpler for WA online poker. Washington State does not directly regulate online gambling. No online poker, no online casino – no matter how hard you look, you won’t find an online gambling site that holds a license issued by Washington State.

Some were surprised that the Tennessee legislature approved mobile sports betting in 2019, but it came with a threat from the governor to veto any other attempts to expand gambling in the state. This will likely be the last we hear from Tennessee in a while.

Famous Washington State Poker Players

Many poker players hail from Washington, as they have been able to learn the game and hone their skills at live card rooms around the state. And prior to 2006, thousands of them also played online poker.

Scott Clements was one of the players who started online and built his bankroll on poker sites. He is now the all-time money winner in live tournaments, having to abandon his online poker activities long ago to continue residing in Washington. With a record dating back to 2005 and including several WSOP and WPT titles, Clements continues to accumulate winnings.

Longtime Washington-born poker players also hold solid places on the all-time money list, like Lee Watkinson, Lee Markholt, and Ralph Porter.

As of 2021, these were the top players in that category for live tournament earnings:

Washington State Online Gambling Laws Rules

1. Scott Clements ($8.2 million)
2. Brandon Cantu ($4.4 million)
3. Lee Watkinson ($4.3 million)
4. Lee Markholt ($4.2 million)
5. Ralph Porter ($4 million)
6. Dylan Wilkerson ($3.3 million)
7. Matt Affleck ($3 million)
8. Tyler Patterson ($2.5 million)
9. Quinn Do ($2.5 million)
10. Darren Rabinowitz ($2.2 million)

Washington State Gaming Commission

Sources & Citations For This Article on Washington Online Poker