Swinomish Casino & Lodge is planning to offer sports betting, starting in early 2023, having reached an agreement with sportsbook operator Unibet on Monday. The Washington State-based Tribal casino will build a 2,000-square-foot retail sportsbook adjacent to its sports bar.
The sportsbook will feature a 30-foot video wall and eight sports betting kiosks.
Swinomish Casino CEO Brock Hochsprung commented: “Sports betting brings a different type of customer. It brings new people to the property and that is what other properties have seen so far.
“This is definitely a positive for us and will certainly bring a different energy and that sort of thing onto the gaming floor, particularly during certain times of the year.”
According to September 9 release, ten Tribal casinos are currently operating sports betting operations, while 20 Tribes have renegotiated their Tribal compacts with the state to allow for sports betting, with 19 of those being approved.
Swinomish was ready and waiting for the right operator to come along and deliver a high-quality retail sportsbook. Hochsprung commented: “We began the process with the state a while ago to allow us a compact with the other Tribes, and that was step one. We have been approved to have sports betting by the state for quite some time.
“It was just a matter of working to find the right partner, which we had been doing since last July, so a year-and-a-half. We selected a partner and have figured out what we want to do and have reached the right terms with them.”
Sports betting has been conducted at the Swinomish since 2020. However, it was beaten to the punch of being The Evergreen State’s first retail sportsbook by The Snoqualmie Casino, which opened in 2021.
