A gaming and entertainment enterprise, Maverick Gaming, has initiated legal action against the state of Washington. The company asserts that the state is employing the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) unfairly to grant exclusive rights to specific forms of wagering, such as sports betting, to tribal casinos.
Maverick contends that the state is misinterpreting the IGRA to bestow a monopoly on sports betting upon tribal casinos, despite the fact that non-tribal establishments, such as card rooms, are barred from offering it.
The legal action was filed in a federal court, alleging that Washington state is violating the law by permitting only tribal casinos to provide sports betting services.
The state of Washington legalized sports betting in 2020, but solely for tribal casinos. Nine tribal casinos were awarded licenses to offer sports betting following the state’s modification of its gaming agreements with the tribes.
However, non-tribal venues, such as card rooms, remain prohibited from offering sports betting. These card rooms are restricted to a maximum of 15 tables for card games and are not permitted to offer any form of sports betting.
The state of Washington currently has forty-four authorized card rooms, nineteen of which are managed by Maverick.
Maverick Gaming is aiming to alter this situation, employing a legal team that includes Theodore Olson, who effectively represented New Jersey in a 2018 legal case that reversed the Wire Act and enabled states to establish legal, regulated, and taxed sports wagering markets.
“The objective of IGRA was to guarantee fair competition between tribal and non-tribal gaming, but unfortunately, Washington state is misusing IGRA, instead creating a tribal monopoly on certain types of gaming, such as sports betting,” stated Olson.
“Contrary to the intention of IGRA itself, the law has been utilized to protect Washington state tribes from competition from legal gaming markets that exist in numerous other states.”
Maverick co-founder and chief executive officer Eric Persson added, “We support and respect tribal equality and self-governance. Our decision to file a lawsuit is based on the same values we uphold in all of our endeavors at Maverick Gaming.
“We are proud of our union-led workforce in Washington state, who provide family-supporting jobs with benefits and pensions, contributing to the creation of economic opportunity in communities across our home state.”
The potential for economic expansion hinges on the equitable application of legislation, such as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The hope is to prevail in this legal action so that tribal casinos and smaller commercial card rooms, like those owned by Maverick Gaming, can provide the same authorized gambling choices, like sports wagering, that commercial card rooms and tribal casinos already offer in other regions.
Rebecca George, the Executive Director of the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA), denounced the lawsuit, labeling it a “desperate maneuver” that could be “hazardous and disruptive” to the state.
George stated, “Maverick Gaming’s new federal legal action is a desperate attempt to overturn federal law, the decisions of the Washington State Legislature, the decisions of state and federal agencies, and the clear opinion of the Washington State public.”
“This would severely harm the well-regulated and secure system of limited gaming that has been established in Washington State over the past thirty years through carefully negotiated agreements between the state and Washington State tribes.
“These agreements are fully compliant with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and state law, and have been repeatedly examined at multiple regulatory levels.”
In essence, this unfounded and damaging legal action lacks merit. Should it somehow prevail, it will not only inflict irreparable harm on historically marginalized tribal communities, but also on the broader public who oppose the widespread expansion of gambling within their neighborhoods and communities.
“We will scrutinize their allegations more thoroughly, but Washington state tribes stand united in opposing any effort to weaken IGRA, tribal agreements, and the hard-earned accomplishments of tribes.”
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