College betting bill picks up speed in Washington state

• Bill proposing the legalization of betting on in-state college teams in Washington state progressed recently
• The proposal, SB 6137, received overwhelming support of 41 votes in favor, successfully passing from the state Senate to the House
• While the bill would permit wagering on in-state college teams, bets on the performance or nonperformance of college athletes won't be permitted

A bill proposing the expansion of the legal sports bets available to Washington state residents recently gained traction.

That's the case for Senate Bill 6137 (SB 6137), which successfully cleared the state Senate on Wednesday.

SB 6137 passes the state Senate, goes to the House

Currently, Washington state permits wagering on sports.

Tribal nations operating casinos across the state hold exclusive rights to offer sports betting but wagers on college teams are prohibited.

SB 6137 seeks to remove this prohibition, effectively enabling Washington state residents and visitors of legal age to place bets on in-state college teams.

While betting on in-state college teams would be permitted, the bill explicitly prohibits the popular bets on the performance or underperformance of college athletes.

"Sports wagering may not be conducted on the performance or nonperformance of any specifically named individual participant in any collegiate sport or athletic event who is enrolled in an educational institution located within the state of Washington," the bill reads.

Under SB 6137, sports betting on minor league sports wouldn't be permitted.

The proposal, sponsored by Senators Adrian Cortes, T'wina Nobles, Rebecca Saldaña, Derek Stanford and Lisa Wellman, was first read in mid-January.

On Wednesday, SB 6137 went through its third reading in the Senate, successfully passing with 41 votes in favor, and eight in opposition.

After picking up speed, the bill is heading to the state House.

If SB 6137 successfully passes through the House too, its next stop would be the Washington state Governor's desk, where it will seek approval before being enacted and becoming a law.

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