A Closer Look At The Gambling Laws In Oregon

Oregon isn’t the first state to come to mind when you talk about gambling, but read on to find out the variety of games and machine the Beaver State has to offer.

Photo by Akshay Anand, Pexels

(SALEM, Ore.) - Gambling laws and regulations vary from state to state. All forms of gambling were limited to the states of Nevada and New Jersey for most of the 20th century. With the emergence of Indian Casinos on Native American reservations, general gambling laws were loosened across the country.

Across the United States, there are many casinos: Indian Casinos, dog-racing tracks, horse racing tracks, and a number of large online gaming businesses. Oregon in particular, has a state-sanctioned lottery, horse racing tracks, as well as Indian Casinos spread across the Beaver State.

Although Oregon isn’t home to the biggest casinos or biggest names in gambling, their Indian Casinos have everything including blackjack, roulette, and slots. Online and mobile sports betting was also launched in 2019, that can very possibly force lawmakers to rethink some gambling laws that are currently in place.

Oregon also allows Daily Fantasy sports betting. It was one of the first states to introduce it and allows players to play and win sports bets on a daily basis.

Oregon launched online sports betting in 2019. It is run by the Oregon State lottery and is known as the Oregon Lottery Scorecard. This lottery allows all valid residents and visitors to place bets on a wide variety of sporting events.

Bettors will be able to place bets on all in-state teams and events. At the moment, college-level teams are not part of the scorecard yet, but that is set to change as it is rolled out and has gained traction.

Sports bettors in Oregon can also place a wager at a few of the tribal casinos in the state. The Chinook Winds Casino Resort took its first sports bet in August 2019. A few of the other tribal casinos will also start rolling out sports betting at their facilities.

These casinos also allow bettors to place wagers on collegiate competitions, which does place them ahead of the Lottery Scorecard if collegiate sports are your thing. You will, however, have to make your way to the facilities in order to place these bets.

Oregon also holds many charity gambling events. Non-profit organizations have “Casino Nights”, where people can play blackjack, roulette, and craps for a variety of non-cash prizes. Poker was also added to these nights in 2005.

Several tribal casinos offer patrons poker tables, with 77 in total across the state. Aces Full has the biggest room, with 16 tables, and also has a regular tournament schedule. Games include H.O.R.S.E, limit Texas hold ‘em, no-limit Texas hold ‘em, and pot-limit and hi-lo Omaha.

Oregon has many world-class casino resorts that can easily rival the likes of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Some of the best casinos are the Three Rivers Casino Resort, Spirit Mountain Casino, Chinook Winds Casino Resort, Indian Head Casino, Wildhorse Resort and Casino, and Kla-Mo-Ya Casino.

The Three Rivers Casino offers one of the biggest selections of games outside of Las Vegas. It has over 700 machines and tables that include blackjack, craps, roulette, no-limit hold ‘em, and many more.

Spirit Mountain Casino is considered not only one of the best casinos in Oregon, but also the world. The interior is incredibly large and can comfortably accommodate a full house. It has a variety of table games and slots, as well as Keno and bingo.

Chinook Winds Casino is one of the best and biggest casinos in Oregon. It has over 1100 slot machines, as well as a high-stakes lounge. It also has many tables that have games such as blackjack, three-card poker, roulette, and craps.

Chinook Winds also has a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner every day. It is located at the top of the casino and offers patrons beautiful and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.

Indian Head Casino is one of the best Indian Casinos in Oregon. Not only does it feature a gaming area that has everything from blackjack tables to penny slots, they also have promotions that allow you to win cash or even a car. They have regular tournaments that allow you to go head to head with other patrons too.

Wildhorse Resort and Casino is also regarded as one of the best casinos in the state. It has over 1200 Vegas-style slots that will make you feel like you’re in the center of Sin City. They also have all the table game favorites such as blackjack, roulette, and 3-card poker.

Kla-Mo-Ya Casino is one of the newer tribal casinos, built in 2005. It is a bit smaller than the other casinos in the state, but it still boasts 350 Vegas-style machines that are regularly changed to keep the casino floor fresh and exciting.

Oregon may not be the first state you think of when it comes to gambling and casinos, but you’d be underestimating the excitement that you can find across the state. Slots, sports betting, and all your favorite table games are all waiting to be played in the Beaver State.

Source: Salem-News.com Special Features Dept.