New FanDuel sportsbook opens in Washington state ahead of Super Bowl

The tribal casino has partnered with FanDuel and is opening up a brand-new sportsbook for people to wager on their favorite teams or any game that's giving them that lucky feeling.

"I'm really excited," said Rion Ramierez, CEO of Port Madison Enterprises. "Folks really get to have the best of both worlds. They get to enjoy the excitement of everything and stay home."

And while this is a huge moment for the casino because it's a new revenue stream that will surely bring in a lot of money leading up to the Super Bowl, it's tough for people like Eric Persson.

"There's clearly room for both of us," he said.

Persson is the CEO of Maverick Gaming, which owns several cardrooms throughout Washington.

While tribal casinos get the go ahead for sportsbooks, his card rooms still are not allowed.

Maverick Gaming filed a lawsuit back in January in U.S. District Court, challenging the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that they say has given tribal casinos a monopoly over sports betting in the state.

"This isn't an either or," Persson said. "This isn't the tribes should have it or the card rooms should have it. There's room for both and both of us will prosper and benefit. We're looking forward to the day that where Maverick Gaming is a participant in commercial sports betting in our state."

The Washington Indian Gaming Association disagrees with the lawsuit.

In a statement, its executive director, Rebecca George said the following:

The launch of sports betting at these tribal casinos in Washington State is another step forward on the road to greater self-determination for Washington State’s tribes. Tribal gaming is government gaming. 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. Tribal gaming creates good jobs and contributes billions to our state economy.

Our tribal gaming system is safe, responsible, and benefits communities across Washington. The system works well and strikes the right balance. The option to participate in gaming activities is available to responsible adults, but through compacts, additional tribal investments, and community partnerships here in Washington State we have minimized the negative social consequences that can sometimes result from gambling.

Now one private gambling company incorporated in Las Vegas is seeking to destroy the safe and proven system of tribal gaming that we have put in place over the last three decades. Their federal lawsuit, which seeks to overturn the tribal gaming compacts carefully negotiated over three decades between tribes and state leaders, would cause irreparable harm, not just to historically marginalized tribal communities but to the general public as well.

This lawsuit demonstrates their true intent. They want to expand gaming far beyond sports betting. They are seeking the right to offer multiple new forms of easily accessible gambling in our neighborhoods. 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.

Tribes in the state of Washington are committed to conducting sports betting and other forms of gaming safely and responsibly, and we stand united in opposing any attempt like this lawsuit that attempt to undermine the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, tribal compacts, and what the tribes have worked so hard to build over decades of effort.

According to the Washington Indian Gaming Association, there are currently 16 tribal casinos that have been approved to house sportsbooks.