Legislation that would regulate sports betting in Washington State is still alive for 2020. The bill would allow sports betting only at Tribal Gaming casinos and has passed from a Senate committee, moving now to the full Senate for a vote. The Seattle Times reports the committee sent the bill to the full Senate despite objections that it grants a tax-free monopoly to the state’s Indian tribes while hurting smaller commercial card-room casinos. The vote by the Senate is the last major barrier before sending the legislation to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature. The bill would allow betting on…

A Kansas sports betting bill that would allow both land based and online gambling on sporting events passed the state senate by a 23-15 vote. The legislation will now head to the House of Representatives where it will be debated. The bill was introduced in January by the Senate’s Committee on Federal and State Affairs and sets out measures to permit casinos already licensed to launch on-premises sports betting and offer two online betting skins. Meanwhile, sporting venues across the state would be permitted to enter into a contract with a licensed operator to set up a location at their…

In the ever-escalating battle between Oklahoma Tribal Gaming and the governor, things are getting chippy. Now Governor Kevin Stitt has threatened to bring in commercial casinos to undermine tribal casinos, and Tribal Gaming has now questions Stitt’s Native American ancestry. Stitt remains engulfed in a bitter dispute with a dozen Oklahoma tribes regarding their compacts that allow them to operate Class III gaming – slot machines and table games. The Republican Governor argues their 15-year gaming compacts expired on January 1, while the Native Americans claim the revenue-sharing arrangements automatically renewed. Stitt is threatening to welcome in commercial casino operators…

Many people who visit Nevada already know that you can buy marijuana in Las Vegas legally. But when it comes to consuming it, many don’t know it’s illegal on the Strip… or any public spaces. That includes in casinos. Most guests comply and follow the rules once they learn, and marijuana use causes far fewer problems in Sin City than alcohol. With Nevada law only allowing for the lawful use of marijuana at private residences, tourists have nowhere to legally consume it. “We don’t have anywhere we can tell them where to use it, we just tell them where they…

As more and more Las Vegas casinos seem to be saying “no” to poker, it’s nice to hear that the Sahara poker room is about to make a come back! Last week they announced on their Twitter feed last week that they would be opening a brand new seven-table poker room later this month. An official date has not been released. The Sahara originally closed its 11-table poker room in 2011. The rest of the casino closed a month later, 59 years after its opening in 1952. After a $415 million renovation, it was reopened as the SLS Las Vegas…

Some fifty casino have applied for licenses, and now seven have been approved to conduct Colorado sports betting once the activity becomes legal on May 1st. Now it’s a question of whether those seven licensees will be ready in time. Each license permits retail sports betting and one online betting skin per licensee. Each applicant pays $10,000 before applying, plus a $125,000 license fee on approval. Bettors will need to be physically located within the state’s border to place bets via their mobile devices. The state’s two tribal casinos are also understood to be pursuing sports betting, although they do…