Bets are now open at 7 Cedars Casino for most sports, from professional baseball and football to racing and soccer.

Local sports icon Howard “Scooter” Chapman, 88, made the first legal bet in Clallam County on Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Cedars Sportsbook inside the casino at 270756 U.S. Highway 101 in Blyn.

“Now, it’s all up to the Seahawks,” he said after placing a $20 bet with manager Bill Matsko and staffer Danny Duszynski on Seattle to defeat the San Francisco 49ers last Saturday in the Wild Card Weekend playoff game. Seattle lost the game, 41-23.

Casino general manager Glenn Smithson said they couldn’t think of a better celebrity to place the first bet than Chapman, who retired in 2022 after 70 years broadcasting local sports games.

Cedars Sportsbook has been in the works for a few years, Smithson said.

It features eight self-serve kiosks open 8 a.m.-3 a.m. daily (cash only), and a writing station (cash and chips only) open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Minimum bets are $5 and the maximum at a kiosk is $1,999, whereas the writing station allows for higher bets. Winning bets can be cashed in during open hours of the writing station, and/or with the slots cage during the casino’s regular hours, Smithson said.

Cedars Sportsbook was originally slated to open Aug. 1, but was delayed, said casino CEO Jerry Allen as their partner Penn Entertainment switched providers for matchup odds.

Sports betting was opened up to tribal casinos under House Bill 2638 in the 2019 legislative session, and Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill into law March 2020.

Smithson said they attribute a lot of credit to the Tribal Gaming Commission and State Gaming Commission for helping them “get to the finish line.”

Other amenities include a 24-foot video screen, two adjacent 21- and 22-foot screens, a scrolling marquee of scores/schedules, and theater-style seating.

“We’ve put together a great environment,” Smithson said. “We’ve got the ticker [marquee] that wows when people walk in the room.”

Matsko, the former 7 Cedars Casino manager, was brought back to manage Cedars Sportsbook, according to Allen, to drum up interest among casino clientele and “manage the atmosphere” of Cedars Sports.

He worked in the Las Vegas casino industry before coming to 7 Cedars in the original management team in 1995, and leaving in 2015. He most recently worked as a pit manager at the Morongo Casino, Resort and Spa, west of Palm Springs, Calif.

Cedars Sportsbook adds another amenity to the casino, Smithson said, that helps bring people in to watch games, play slots, dine in and stay in the hotel.

According to casino staff, they’ll be celebrating Cedars Sportsbook opening throughout the year with various promotions, events, and hotel packages centered around major sporting events.

According to state law, sports wagering is allowed for individuals 19 and up on professional sports and events except for minor league events, the Olympics, international sports, and in-state collegiate events. For more information, visit 7cedars.com.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Cedars Sportsbook inside 7 Cedars Casino offers eight kiosks and two writing desks for betting on sporting events. Amenities also include large video screens, theater seating, and a scrolling marquee of schedules and scores.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Cedars Sportsbook features a 24-foot video screen, and two adjacent 21- and 22-foot screens for watching sporting events inside 7 Cedars Casino.