Introduction to Washington Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Washington slot machine casino gambling consists of 31 tribal casinos with a unique type of electronic player terminal based on scratch tickets controlled by a state-wide Tribal Lottery System (TLS).
Introduction to Oregon Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020. Oregon slot machine casino. — Despite the opposition of some legislators, Oregon Lottery officials yesterday indicated that July 1 is being targeted as the start-up date for the lottery’s new video slot-machine games.
All state-tribal compacts set a minimum theoretical payout limit. However, no return statistics are publicly available.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Washington*
The minimum legal gambling age in Washington depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 18/21 depending upon the casino
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Washington’s player terminals at tribal casinos are based on the lottery’s scratch ticket games in electronic form. This unique form of slot machines makes Washington slot machines unique in the U.S. All other U.S.-based lottery terminals are based on draw lotteries, not from lotteries other game: scratch tickets.
Twenty-nine tribes originally negotiated tribal-state compacts to offer gambling at tribal casinos. However, the state and these tribes could not agree whether Vegas-style slot machines should be legal in Washington.
Scratch-based gaming machines resulted from early negotiations of these gaming compacts. This impasse resolution led to creating a secondary lottery system for player terminals at tribal casinos. The state lottery was a model for the TLS.
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Draw-based terminals create tickets at the time of the bet using random number generators (RNGs). However, scratch-based terminals know in advance the result of each wager. Put another way, the outcome of each bet is pre-determined and do not require an RNG.
Another technical difference between lottery draw tickets and scratch tickets is how many of them can exist. For example, there are as many draw tickets as players are willing to buy. However, lotteries create only a limited number of scratch tickets but, hopefully, enough for a busy night at a Washington tribal casino.
All negotiated tribal-state compacts also have other legal restrictions for their scratch-based terminal-style slot machines. These limits have been expanding over time as part of this state’s dynamic gaming industry. The requirements are:
- Allows replaying of credits won
- No handles
- No mechanical spinning wheels
- A minimum payout return (see below)
- $5 maximum wager on 85% on VLTs
- $20 maximum wager on 15% of VLTs
- Cap of 2,500 VLT machines per tribe
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Washington
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of Washington if it is 25 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in Washington
The gaming control board is the Washington State Gambling Commission offering licensing, regulation, and enforcement of certain aspects of the gaming industry in Washington. Their regulatory responsibilities primarily include testing and approving new electronic gaming machines.
Further, each tribe with a casino in Washington has a tribal gaming agency (TGA). Agents of a TGA are the primary regulators at tribal casinos. At all times, at least one TGA agent must be on duty at a tribal casino.
Casinos in Washington
There are 31 American Indian tribal casinos and multiple cruise ships based in the state of Washington.
The largest casino in Washington is Muckleshoot Casino with 3,125 electronic gaming terminals.
The second-largest casino is Ilani Casino Resort with 2,500 electronic gaming terminals.
Commercial Casinos in Washington
The state of Washington has no commercial casinos with slot machines.
Tribal Casinos in Washington

The state of Washington has 31 tribal casinos:
- Angel of the Winds Casino Resort in Arlington, 50 miles north of Seattle
- BJ’s Bingo & Gaming in Fife near Tacoma
- Chewelah Casino in Chewelah, 50 miles north of Spokane
- Coulee Dam Casino in Coulee Dam, 40 miles north of Seattle, owned by 12 Tribes Colville Casinos
- Elwha River Casino in Port Angeles, 70 miles northwest of Seattle
- Emerald Queen Casino & Hotel (EQC) in Fife near Tacoma
- Emerald Queen Casino (EQC) I-5 in Tacoma
- Ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, 25 miles north of Portland near the border to Oregon
- Kalispel Casino in Cusick, 53 miles north of Spokane
- Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, 23 miles north of Olympia
- Lucky Dog Casino in Skokomish, 23 miles north of Olympia
- Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel in Rochester, 26 miles south of Olympia
- Mill Bay Casino in Manson, 200 miles northeast of Seattle on the north shore of Lake Chelan, owned by 12 Tribes Colville Casinos
- Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, 20 miles south of Seattle
- Nooksack Northwood Casino in Lynden, 14 miles north of Bellingham
- Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, 10 miles west of Spokane
- The Point Casino in Kingston, 18 miles west of Seattle via Bainbridge Ferry
- Quil Ceda Creek Nightclub & Casino in Quil Ceda Village, 30 miles north of Seattle
- Quinault Beach Resort and Casino in Ocean Shores, 90 miles west of Tacoma
- Red Wind Casino in Olympia
- 7 Cedars Casino in Sequim, 70 miles northwest of Seattle by ferry
- Shoalwater Bay Casino in Tokeland, 75 miles southwest of Olympia
- Silver Reef Casino Resort in Ferndale, 17 miles north of Bellingham
- Skagit Valley Casino Resort in Bow, 75 miles north of Seattle
- Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, 30 miles east of Seattle
- Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights, 9 miles west of Spokane
- Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort in Suquamish, 15 miles west of Seattle via Bainbridge Ferry
- Swinomish Casino & Lodge in Anacortes, 70 miles north of Seattle
- Tulalip Casino in Quil Ceda Village, 30 miles north of Seattle
- 12 Tribes Casino in Omak, 165 miles northeast of Seattle, owned by 12 Tribes Colville Casinos
- Yakama Legends Casino in Toppenish, 20 miles south of Yakama
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Washington slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Washington is:
- North: The Canadian Province of British Columbia
- East: Idaho Slots
- South: Oregon Slots
- West: The Pacific Ocean
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Washington.
Our Washington Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Washington? If so, join our Washington slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Washington. Join us!
Payout Returns in Washington
The TLS directly controls the results of Washington’s unique terminal-style slot machines. TLS’ central computer system provides the outcome of each bet made on each terminal at the time of the wager. This off-site control extends to any bonus rounds.
All tribal-state compacts in Washington established a minimum theoretical payout of 75% for slot machines. Further, no return statistics for slots are available to the public.
Summary of Washington Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Washington slot machine casino gambling consists of 31 tribal casinos with electronic scratch ticket video player terminal slot machines. The state-run Tribal Lottery System (TLS) controls the results of all bets offsite from the tribal casinos.

Tribal-state compacts have set a minimum theoretical payout of 75% for their unique terminal-style electronic slot machines. No return statistics are available to the public.
Annual Progress in Washington Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Over the last year, Tulalip Resort Casino with its 2,400 gaming machines has dropped from second largest casino to third largest, replaced by Ilani Casino Resort with its 2,500 gaming machines.
Further, two tribal casinos have opened within the last year, including Kalispel Casino in Cusick located 53 miles north of Spokane and Spokane Tribe Casino located in Airway Heights a few miles west of Spokane.
Related Articles from Professor Slots
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: West Virginia Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
The Oregon Lottery is replacing old video lottery machines with new VLMs and the move is causing gambling recovery advocates to protest. The rollout of the state-of-the-art machines promises players the ability to play more games at one time, while betting less money on each of those games. Casual readers might think a gaming machine which allows someone to gamble in smaller increments would be a good thing from the gambler’s perspective, but gambling addiction counselor say it is likely to lead to an uptick in problem gambling.
The Oregon Lottery has 12,000 machines placed around the state of Oregon. Over the course of the last year, the state lottery corporation has been replacing old machines with the newer models, which allows gamblers to pay as little a few cents at a time. The revenue reports show that gamblers are spending 10% more on the video lottery machines than they were a year ago at this time.
Portland-Area Gaming Experiences
Take an example of Oregon gamblers. Robert Shock and Harmony Welch play Oregon lottery terminals once a week or so, at the Silver Dollar Pizza Company in Northwest Portland. Mr. Schock says that the old machine let a player gamble for 4 spins for a $1, essentially 25-cents a spin. Schock says those VLMs paid quite well.
Schock told Oregon Public Broadcasting, “When they first came out, we started playing that ‘Pig’n Play’ [machine] and we would win a lot, like $60 off of $5. But now we just lose it.”
More Betting Options
The new machines provide players with a wider range of betting options. Gamblers can bet smaller amounts, while playing a multi-spin video lottery machine. Multi-spin slot machines are popular in the offline and online gambling industries these days, because they offer a sense of action and many chances to hit the jackpot at once. Multi-spin action also adds up, whether the gambler notices it or not.
Schock added, “Yeah, you can bet, like, one penny and play one line and sit there for hours if you want to.”
The Oregon Lottery collects enough money to pay in $500 million a year to the state. With the 2014-2015 changes, the increase in revenues is real. No official has explained why revenues are up.
Jack Roberts Offers His Theories
Oregon Lottery Director Jack Roberts says the increase in revenues might be due to an improved economy.
Roberts told OPB, “We don’t have any evidentiary reason to believe that these games are addictive. I know there are theories floating around that the machines are somehow addictive to people. But frankly that’s never been demonstrated and we’re not seeing any signs that people are playing longer or playing more.”
Roberts later reiterated he has no evidence that players are playing longer, or whether new players are trying out the new machines and liking them. Game designers tend to be a little more scientific, so whether Jack Roberts understands why his gaming machines are bringing in more revenues, someone at the Oregon Lottery does.
The House Edge and Variance
There are reasons why the new machines pay back less, and they don’t necessarily have to do with a lower house edge. Gambling mathematicians and game designers like to talk about “variance”, which simply is a mathematical way to discuss the ups-and-downs of gambling.
Let’s say a gaming machine has a house edge of 7%, which means you expect to lose $7 for every $100 you wager on the machine. Every gambler who walks into the casino isn’t going to lose $7 on a hundred bucks wagered, though. Some won’t lose at all. But if a whole bunch of gamblers wager $100,000 on a VLM and one of those gamblers wins $1000 on a jackpot, the house edge means that all the other gamblers who play during a given time span around that jackpot are probably going to lose $1000, plus an additional $7000 to account for the house edge. Or if one gambler wins $10, you might expect to see another gambler lose $24, thus accounting for the house edge.
In either case, nothing is assured. Notice I use words like “expect“, “expectation“, and “probably“. The house edge does not assure results for any small or limited number of spins. Even a thousand spins might have a wide variation in results from another thousand spins. Probability applies in really large numbers. The more spins you take, the closer the results are going to be to the house edge.
Think about that. The more spins in a game, the more likely your results are going to match the house edge.
By convincing gamblers to play a lot of spins at one time, the lottery has convinced gamblers to play a game they are more likely to lose. Luck plays less of a factor with more spins. In short, the variance is less. The Oregon Lottery is taking a bit more of the luck out of the game by having people play a whole bunch of spins for tiny amounts. Thus, revenues have increased by 10%.
Do Not Use This Example
Frankly, if you’re going to wager $100 on a gambling machine, it’s better to gamble all $100 on a one spin than it is to make 10,000 1-cent bets. The reason larger bets are such a stigma is the fact problem gamblers can’t stop if they lose that $100 bet. Of course, they couldn’t stop if they won that $100 bet, either. They would keep playing until they lost. Play long enough and the casino always wins.
Underdogs in Sports
Consider the sports world if you don’t believe me. Let’s say two football teams play a game. Inevitably, one is the favorite and the other is the underdog. If the underdog gets ahead in the game, they inevitably want to shorten the game by running the ball and forcing the clock to run. That’s why teams who play top quarterbacks talk about “ball control”. They want to shorten the game and keep the ball out of the hands of their most dangerous opponent.
Oregon State Lotto Slot Machines
The same works for other sports, like soccer. If the underdog scores, you can expect they are going to pack in the defense and play for a 1-0 victory. A variation of that scenario happens in most sports with a clock.
Lotto Slot Machine
Good Luck Beating the House Edge
In a casino setting, gamblers should always see themselves as the underdog. Shorten the game and you might win. That’s what gambling recovery advocates like Wes Wood of Voices of Problem Gambling Recovery seek to do. Legislators also have been calling for measures to protect gamblers.
House Bill 3317 and House Bill 3318 are lottery reform bills which are supposed to help problem gamblers. HB 3317 assures the VLM operators take socioeconomic data, to assure the new revenues are not a hidden tax on the poor. HB 3318, sponsored by Representative Kathleen Taylor of Portland, establishes a “Responsible Gambling Code of Practices”. A third bill, HB 3316, would have classified certain venues as casinos, forcing those operators to give up their lottery license. The bill failed, because it would have cost the state $83 million a year.
The new video lottery machines should be good for the state budget of Oregon. VLM gamblers should have more play options, which is always nice. But players need to understand the math underlying gaming machines and be cautious when playing. Sometimes, the intuitive, common sense betting option can be a sucker bet.