Washington State Gambling Commission and Squaxin Island Tribe reach tentative gaming compact

The Washington State Gambling Commission and the Squaxin Island Tribe have struck a tentative deal to update the Tribe’s Class III gaming compact, a step that would streamline and modernize the rules that govern the Tribe’s casino operations. The proposal, known as the seventh amendment, essentially rolls the original 1993 agreement and its six previous updates into one clear, up-to-date document.

Commission Chair Alicia Levy said the goal of the new agreement is to make sure the compact reflects today’s regulatory standards, economic realities, and public health priorities. “The proposed amendment modernizes the existing compact by adopting a balanced approach that supports economic development, regulatory consistency, and public health and safety,” Levy said in a press release. “The added safeguards and community-focused commitments strengthen responsible gaming requirements.”

Squaxin Island Tribe reaches tentative agreement with Gambling Commission on proposed gaming compact amendmenthttps://t.co/KnYxUBnISB

— WA Gambling Comm (@WAGambling) January 9, 2026

Squaxin Island Tribal Chairman Kris Peters said the agreement would help keep a strong financial base in place for both the tribal government and the wider community. “The Tribe is pleased to have reached agreement with the Washington State Gambling Commission on a modernized gaming compact,” Peters said. “The compact continues to be a key source of funding for essential government services and employment, benefitting both tribal and community members.”

Updated Squaxin Island Tribe gaming compact reflects broader changes in Washington

The Gambling Commission says the proposed amendment pulls together many provisions that already appear in other tribal gaming agreements around Washington, while also adding some rules tailored specifically to the Squaxin Tribe. Under the deal, the Tribe would be allowed to introduce electronic table games, extend credit to players, and lift per-casino limits on gaming devices. It would also let players wager up to $30 on tribal lottery terminals.

Betting limits would go up as well, with table games allowing wagers of up to $1,000, and a small number of tables able to offer bets as high as $5,000 for customers who have been screened and approved. The agreement also updates how the Tribe contributes to emergency services, government operations, and nonprofit and charitable groups. On the public health side, it would require a non-smoking room if smoking is allowed elsewhere in the casino and strengthen responsible-gaming rules around staff training, self-exclusion programs, signage, and player-set betting limits.

The tentative deal now heads into a formal approval process that includes state lawmakers, regulators, tribal leaders, and the federal government. Notices have already gone out to the Governor, the Legislature, and other interested parties. The Senate Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee is set to hold a public hearing on January 21, 2026, followed by a House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee hearing on February 10.

The Gambling Commission is expected to vote on February 12 on whether to send the amendment to the Governor. If it clears that step, it would then go to Chairman Kris Peters for final tribal approval and signature, and after that to the Governor. If both sign off, the agreement would be sent to the U.S. Department of the Interior for federal review and, if approved, publication in the Federal Register.

The Squaxin Island deal follows similar tentative agreements the Commission reached with other Washington tribes in late 2025. In December, regulators announced updated compacts with the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, both of which would allow electronic table games, with the Upper Skagit deal also including changes to smoking rules at its casino.

Featured image: Canva

The post Washington State Gambling Commission and Squaxin Island Tribe reach tentative gaming compact appeared first on ReadWrite.