Card-Room Operator Files Lawsuit Over Washington Sports Betting

SEATTLE (AP) – A federal lawsuit claims Washington state officials unlawfully granted Native American casinos a “‘discriminatory tribal gaming monopoly” over sports betting and other types of gambling.

The Seattle Times reports the lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by Maverick Gaming LLC, which owns and operates 19 of 44 licensed card rooms in the state.

Maverick and owner Eric Persson have unsuccessfully lobbied state lawmakers in recent years to expand sports gambling beyond tribal casinos.

Such gambling was approved only for tribal casinos in March 2020 and went into effect in September 2021 on a case-by-case basis.

Tuesday’s lawsuit asks to invalidate the agreements that led to sports books being offered by tribes.