Sports wagering licensing

Learn how to apply for sports wagering vendor and representative licenses to offer products or services.

Learn about sports wagering licensing

We have 3 categories of sports wagering vendor licenses you can apply for.

You must apply for each license (major, mid-level, or ancillary) for any products or services that fall under each of those licenses.

Major sports wagering vendor

Provide integral sports wagering goods or services in our state:

  • Managing a Tribe's or Tribes' sports wagering operations
  • Being a Tribe's or Tribes' primary consultant who provides substantial sports wagering related services
  • Being a manufacturer or distributor of a sports wagering system(s)
  • Providing bookmaking services
  • Providing sports wagering risk management services.

Mid-level sports wagering vendor

Provide services or equipment related to data, security, and integrity that include, but are not limited to:

  • Integrity monitoring
  • Data to be used by a Tribe(s) or sports wagering vendor including data to set odds
  • The compilation, furnishing, or storage of data for use in sports wagering
  • Initial or annual wagering system security testing or assessment
  • Geofencing and geolocation compliance and monitoring
  • Sports wagering account management including Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products.

Ancillary sports wagering vendor

Provide necessary sports wagering support services that include, but are not limited to:

  • Mobile payment processing for use in sports wagering
  • Know your customer or identity verification for use in mobile sports wagering
  • Marketing or promotional affiliates for a sports wagering vendor or tribal sports wagering operator where the contractual financial arrangement is based on a percentage of an operator’s sports wagering revenue.

About sports wagering vendors and their representatives

Visit the Washington State Legislature site to see the rules that govern:

How to apply for a sports wagering vendor

In addition to all the materials outlined in our licensing process, the complete application includes the application fee.

Apply for a license online through MyAccount unless you're approved for an online waiver. You must be registered for SecureAccess Washington (SAW).

Visit the Washington State Legislature site to see if you qualify for an online waiver (apps.leg.wa.gov). 

Learn how to register for MyAccount 

  1. Use your SAW username and password to log in to MyAccount 
  2. In the MyAccount home page, click on your name and choose Profile in the drop-down menu
  3. Click the 'Create Organization Request' button
  4. Start typing your organization trade name. If you're in the process of purchasing an existing licensed business, enter your legal entity name and 'Create New Organization'. Complete the form for the new organization. Any field with a red asterisk is a required field. Submit the form
  5. In the Application tab, click 'New License Application' button
  6. Select the license type of the gambling activity you're applying for and complete all required fields to submit your application
  7. Pay for the application fee in the Billing and Payment tab.

Licensing for sports wagering vendor representatives

  • If your sports wagering organization has representatives who will be working physically or remotely in Washington State, they must be licensed separately
  • Officers and owners are exempt from having to apply for a representative license

  • If you are a substantial interest holder in the business, you do not need a representative license to perform representative duties connected with that licensed business.

Learn what a substantial interest holder is (app.leg.wa.gov)

How to apply for sports wagering vendor representatives

  1. Use your SAW username and password to log in to MyAccount
  2. Go to the Application tab and select Application from the drop-down menu
  3. Click 'New Employee License Application' button
  4. Complete all required fields
  5. Submit and pay for the application in Billing and Payment
  6. Mail the employee's completed fingerprint cards (2 if ink rolled, 1 if live scanned). See address below.

Mailing address for fingerprint cards

For US Mail (No UPS or FedEx)

Washington State Gambling Commission
PO Box 42400
Olympia WA 98504-2400

For UPS, FedEx, and overnight packages

Washington State Gambling Commission
4565 7th Avenue SE
Lacey WA 98503

Required training

After we grant your license, you have 30 days to complete your required training:

Required recordkeeping

You must:

  • Keep records to provide in case we audit your business
  • Update your records monthly.

Retaining your records

You must retain the records for 3 years from the end of your fiscal year.

Renewing your license

Licenses expire each year. Learn more about how to renew your license.

Reporting changes to your license

There are certain changes you must tell us about. Learn how to report changes to your license.

Additional information

Learn more about sports wagering