FanDuel partners with Suquamish Tribe in Washington
February 7, 2022
On Friday, the Suquamish Tribe's business arm, Port Madison Enterprises, and sports betting giant FanDuel held their new storefront grand opening at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort. The event featured NFL legends Jim Zorn and Steve Largent, who, together with the company's CEO, opened the new facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new sportsbook, located off the casino's floor, features a variety of live betting windows and self-service betting kiosks. It also offers various wagering options for all major sporting events. The Suquamish Tribe is pleased to have added sports betting to its gaming compact. It will benefit the organization's members and non-members by providing them with much-needed revenue. Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe, said, "The Suquamish Tribe is extremely proud to have added sports wagering to our gaming compact." He then continued, "With the launch of our sportsbook, revenue from sports wagering will help support the Suquamish Tribe's important governmental services offered to both tribal members and the local non-tribal community."
More from FanDuel
With its partnership with the IGT PlaySports platform, FanDuel will offer its customers the ability to place their bet on all major US sports, including football, basketball, and tennis. But, no bets will be allowed for any college teams in Washington state. As part of its operations, the company will have on-site experts who will walk customers through the entire sports betting process. Keith Wall, FanDuel's vice president of retail, noted that the partnership with the Suquamish Tribe has allowed the company to expand its operations on the West Coast. "This has been a special project for us because it has allowed us to expand our retail footprint to the west coast," he said. "The Suquamish Tribe has been an amazing partner throughout the process and Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort is an amazing property that everyone needs to visit for the stunning views, world-class entertainment and now legal sports betting," Wall continued.
More on tribal gaming in Washington
The Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA), which oversees the operations of the Suquamish and Little Creek Tribal casinos, officially launched sports betting at these facilities on Friday. Meanwhile, the Spokane Tribe's gaming resort announced that it has signed an agreement with Caesars Entertainment. The agreement will bring the Caesars Sportsbook to Spokane's property in Washington. After the Snoqualmie Casino started offering sports betting in September, more tribal casinos in the state have also started offering the same service. Executive Director of WIGA, Rebecca George, stated that the launch of sports betting at the state's tribes is a step toward greater self-determination for the state's tribes. She noted, "Our tribes rely on the revenues generated by our casinos to fund important public services for some of the most historically marginalized and underserved communities in Washington State." According to George, tribal gaming is a responsible and safe industry that has helped communities across Washington. However, she noted that the industry is now in danger of being taken over by a card room operator. The Executive Director also pointed out that a private company based in Las Vegas, called Maverick Gaming, that wants to expand into tribal gaming is threatening the system of tribal gaming in the state. For her, the company's lawsuit would have a negative effect on tribal communities and the general public. "This is an attempt to force a huge expansion of gambling in Washington state against the will of the public and the bipartisan decisions of the legislators who represent them," George explained.
