DraftKings and Tulalip Tribes agree sportsbook deal

New York-listed sports betting operator DraftKings and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington have reached an agreement to launch DraftKings retail sportsbooks in Washington State.

The DraftKings retail sportsbooks will be located at Tulalip Resort Casino and Quil Ceda Creek Casino, with initial designs featuring a 50-foot video wall, two dozen kiosks and eight ticket windows. 

"As we get ready to open our sportsbooks, we are excited to announce our exclusive partnership with the best in the business, DraftKings,” said Tulalip Tribes chairwoman Teri Gobin. “We're ready to take our gaming experience to the next level. Like Tulalip, DraftKings is committed to excellence and, together, we're going to give sports fans a one-of-a-kind experience. We can't wait for our customers to share our journey as we build the newest addition to our entertainment destinations."

Once operational, Washington will mark the 19th US state in which DraftKings is live with its Sportsbook product.

DraftKings senior director of retail sportsbooks, Michael Kibort, added: “Today marks an exciting day for DraftKings as we are set to expand our sports betting footprint to the great Pacific Northwest. In collaboration with the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, we look forward to bringing the very best in real-money gaming experiences to a state with a passionate fanbase spanning major professional sports leagues.”

The Tulalip Tribes of Washington were among the first to agree new gaming compacts with the state in April 2021, following the passage of legislation in 2020 which allows tribal gaming operators to request an amendment to their class III gaming compacts to add sports betting.

Since then, 16 federally recognized Tribes have agreed gaming compact amendments in Washington State, prompting cardroom operator Maverick Gaming to launch a lawsuit against what it describes as the state's tribal sports betting monopoly. Lawmakers in Washington State have also recently introduced legislation to open the sports betting market to non-tribal operators.

Shares in DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ:DKNG) closed 3.52 per cent lower at $21.40 per share in New York Wednesday, having set a new 52-week low of $21.33 per share earlier in the day.