Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed a bill that expands tribal sports betting and furthers gaming regulations as the state deals with illegal online gambling.

The new law extends sports betting on tribal lands to collegiate events, on top of professional and Olympic events that were already allowed.

Within the state’s borders, Native American tribes are the keepers of casinos, and they hold the exclusive right to sports betting. 

There are a few stipulations in the new law.

Notably, sports bets cannot be placed on the performance of specific players. They also can’t be made on in-game decisions by Washington coaches, such as player substitutions and timeouts, and officiating decisions like rulings on penalties and fouls. 

“During a time when online hate and harassment are on the rise, it’s more important than ever that we protect student athletes by properly regulating sports betting on college sports in our state,” state Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, who co-sponsored the bill, said Monday.