Maverick Gaming, LLC v. United States, et al.
OVERVIEW
Maverick Gaming is a gaming and entertainment company headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, employing a total of more than 4,000 people throughout the organization. 2,000+ people of the Maverick Gaming team are in Washington where Maverick Gaming is proud to be the largest private employer of Teamsters Local 117 in the state.
On January 11, 2022, we filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. In summary, we are challenging an erroneous application of a federal law called the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) that is being relied upon to give tribes exclusive rights to certain types of gaming that are not allowed in non-tribal commercial gaming properties in Washington. We support and respect IGRA and its aim of supporting tribal equality and sovereignty. But IGRA was intended to guarantee parity between tribal and non-tribal gaming. In Washington, however, the law is being used to insulate tribes against competition and has created tribal monopolies for certain types of gaming, contrary to IGRA’s own words.
BACKGROUND
Maverick Gaming, headquartered in Kirkland, WA, is striving to establish a first-class option for hospitality and entertainment everywhere it operates. Currently that includes facilities in Nevada, Colorado, and Washington.
Our Washington properties face a unique barrier when it comes to offerings for our customers because of Washington State’s erroneous application of a federal law called the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) passed by Congress in 1988. IGRA was crafted to prevent discrimination between tribal and non-tribal gaming and to ensure tribes were not kept from opportunity. It established a federal framework governing gaming on Indian lands that would guarantee parity between tribal and non-tribal gaming. Its aim was to give tribes the opportunity to engage in all forms of gaming that the state permits for non-tribal entities. Washington State’s application of IGRA, however, flips the law on its head by using it to establish tribal gaming monopolies, thereby contradicting both the statute’s text and its primary objective.
OPPORTUNITY IN WASHINGTON
Since the very beginning in Washington State, Maverick Gaming was open to collaborating with the Teamsters, and partners with Teamsters 117 to provide family wage jobs that include benefits and a pension. Making the investment in Washington was a commitment from which the company has not waivered. Every dollar made is invested back into Maverick Gaming properties and employees.
Our facilities are local, neighborhood destinations where our customers swing by after work or for a night out to unwind, watch a game, or get a bite to eat. For those who like to play, we would like to offer entertainment options such as sports betting to enhance their experience and that also generates business that benefits our employees and local jurisdictions where we operate. Current application of IGRA in Washington protects tribal monopolies, limits competition, and restricts economic opportunity.
FAQ
There are different categories of gambling – designated into classes that organize everything from Bingo to slot machines to Las Vegas-style card games. The terms of tribal gaming offerings are codified in compacts the State negotiates with each tribe. In Washington, we believe restrictions on gaming that give tribes exclusive opportunities not afforded to the non-tribal commercial gaming sector violate IGRA and the United States Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection. For this reason, we have filed a lawsuit, asking that Washington’s application of IGRA be struck down as contrary to the statute and the federal Constitution.
If we are successful, we would like to offer a safe, fun, responsible gaming experience to our guests that includes options like sports betting, roulette and craps that are currently held by tribal monopolies. Maverick Gaming’s entertainment experiences would not extend to problem gamblers, who would be subject to a self-exclusion policy that we have had great success implementing in our facilities in Washington State. Self-exclusion is just one way that Maverick Gaming serves as a partner in efforts to combat problem gambling.
We believe that the gaming monopolies that Washington has granted to certain tribes are illegal and unconstitutional. We are therefore asking a federal court to declare that those monopolies violate IGRA and the United States Constitution. If we prevail before the federal court, then the court will make clear that Washington’s tribal-monopoly arrangement is contrary to federal law and may not continue. We think that our interpretation of the law is correct and look forward to the court having the opportunity to scrutinize Washington’s gaming regime.