Washington state is among the most unaccommodating states when it comes to gambling. It offers a few legal gambling opportunities, including charitable games, horse racing, and fun office pools. If you want to play at a licensed online casino in Washington, you're out of luck. While real-money online casinos are not yet legal, Washington state is also one of the very few states that do not allow sweepstakes casinos.
Washington casinos provide punters with a vast array of gambling options. They offer many slots, allowing you to choose your preferred theme, features, volatility, and RTP. Some Washington casinos offer huge progressive jackpots, too. In addition to traditional options like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, you’ll find dice games, casino poker games, video poker, and fortune wheel games, among others.
Washington state offers other fun options, including horse racing, poker, and sports betting. Even though some casinos offer sports betting apps, you must be physically located within the casino to use them. Entering 2025, Washington was home to 20 poker rooms serving the most popular poker games like Texas Hold ’Em and Omaha.
If any online gambling options have a remote chance of legalization, it’s sports betting and poker. These particular gambling options have been the subject of most online gambling proposals. Many casinos have already found sports betting partners. For example, Muckleshoot Casino launched its Caesars Sportsbook app in 2024.
Online casinos serve up a full range of casino games. As you would expect, some games are much more popular than others. Let’s look at some of the trendiest games at real money and sweepstakes casinos.
We have included the Return to Player (RTP) of the games listed above, but what exactly is it? RTP gives you an idea of how much you can expect to win over time on average. If a game has an RTP of 95%, you can expect to receive $95 for every $100 staked.
Washington state lawmakers seem hell-bent on keeping online gambling out of the state. Several bills for legalizing online casinos have been put forward over the years, but none have come close to passing through the legislature. While sports betting was legalized in 2021, it is only allowed in land-based tribal casinos. Similarly, poker is only offered at tribal casinos and not online.
While online sports betting has a slight chance of being legalized, there is little chance that Washington online casinos will become a reality.
Nevertheless, there are many offshore online casinos available in Washington. These sites, which hold licenses with Curacao, Costa Rica, and Anjouan, accept players from Washington state. However, you must understand that these sites don’t offer levels of player protection. If you play at an offshore site, research it to ensure it’s on the level and has a solid reputation. There is very little you can do if they rip you off. After all, the Washington State Gambling Commission has no jurisdiction in other countries.
To play at an online casino, you must open a new account and verify your age, identity, and place of residence. These steps are easy when you follow these instructions.
You must complete the verification process before you can withdraw your winnings. You can usually upload the required documents in your player profile, such as your proof of identity, address, and payment method.
Once you have submitted the requested documents, the casino can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days to complete the verification. In the meantime, you can still deposit, claim bonuses, and play games. You can start making withdrawals as soon as the casino notifies you that you have been verified.
Since social and real-money online casinos aren’t available in Washington, there are no casino banking method options. However, if you play in another state, you can use credit/debit cards, e-wallets, online banking, pre-paid options, and even cryptocurrency. Let’s review the steps in depositing and withdrawing funds from online casinos.
The time it takes to access your winnings depends on the site’s processing time and your chosen payment option. We suggest using an e-wallet or cryptocurrency (if available), as those options offer the fastest access to your money. Also, remember that you must complete the verification process before withdrawing.
You must be at least 21 to play casino games in Washington state. However, you only need to be 18 to participate in activities like the lottery, pull tabs, bingo, and pari-mutuel betting. That said, the only legal option for casino gaming in the Evergreen State is tribal casinos. All forms of online casino gaming, including Washington sweepstakes casinos, are not yet legal.
Only those who are 21 or older are allowed to enter and play games at Washington’s 31 tribal casinos. This applies to residents and visitors to the state. Some Washington tribal casinos have other house rules, such as dress codes. As with online casinos, you may be asked to produce various forms of ID when you cash out your winnings.
If Washington social casinos or real-money casinos existed, they would be regulated by the Washington State Gambling Commission. The WSGC oversees all gambling in the state. The regulator was established in 1973 and has over 100 full-time staff. The commission’s mission is to protect the public by ensuring that gambling in the state is legal and honest.
As you can see, Washington wants nothing to do with online gambling. It doesn’t even like social casinos. How did we get here? To gain some insight, let’s check out a brief timeline of the evolution of gambling in Washington state.
Washington legalizes wagering on horse races.
Washington legalizes raffles and bingo.
The Washington State Gambling Commission is created.
Card rooms are legalized.
Charitable fundraising casino events are authorized.
Washington’s state lottery is launched.
The introduction of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allows Washington’s tribes to operate casinos.
The Lummi and Tulalip Tribes open the state’s first tribal casinos.
The legislature explicitly bans online gambling, including Washington social casinos.
Bill HB 2638 legalizes sports betting at tribal casinos.
A bill to allow online sports betting outside tribal casinos fails.
As it stands, Washington does not have any active bills related to online casino gaming. Don’t expect to see any in the next few years, either.
When we talk about legal online casinos in Washington, we mean licensed and legal sites in the state. However, no legal online casinos in Washington hold a license with the WSGC. An example of a legal online casino would be BetMGM Casino in Michigan. That site is legal and licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
Offshore sites are online casinos that are licensed and based in foreign regions. However, it’s important to remember that offshore sites do not offer the same level of player protection as a licensed Washington online casino would. Be diligent and proceed cautiously if you play at an offshore online casino.
Washington state has 31 tribal casinos. We have conveniently listed them below and the number of games each offers.
Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma opened its doors in 2020. The $400 million venue boasts over 310,000 square feet, including a 100,000-square-foot gaming floor. The Puyallup Tribe owns and operates the casino, which offers a Vegas-style experience that includes live entertainment, loads of dining options, and a 155-room on-site hotel.
Muckleshoot Casino opened in 1995. However, it completed a huge renovation project in 2024 and was renamed Muckleshoot Casino Resort. The main attraction is the 157,000-square-foot gaming floor, which boasts about 3,500 slots and 50+ gaming tables. The venue also offers a brand-new 401-room hotel along with dining options and amenities like a spa, swimming pool, and entertainment venue.
Owned and operated by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, the Ilani Casino Resort opened in 2017. It has since made significant additions, including a 14-story hotel, more dining establishments, and a convention center. The facility covers 368,000 square feet, with 100,000 square feet consumed by a gaming floor that features around 3,000 slots and 75 gaming tables. You can also bet on sports at the sportsbook in Stadium Sports Bar and Grill or any betting kiosks throughout the casino.
No. Washington state’s legislature explicitly banned online gambling in 2006. The only form of online gambling currently allowed is sports betting, although bets can only be placed while you are at the partnering land-based casino venue.
Washington does not have sweepstakes casinos. The Evergreen State is one of the few American states that prohibits them.
No online casinos are operating in Washington. The only option is to take your chances at some offshore sites. However, remember that these casinos do not offer the same level of player protection as regulated Washington online casinos.
If Washington sweepstakes casinos or real-money casino sites existed, they would be safe, as they would be licensed and regulated by the Washington State Gambling Commission.
Because online casinos in Washington don’t exist, casino buffs can’t claim bonuses or participate in promotions.