About the RGA

The Recreational Gaming Association of Washington (RGA) is the trade association that speaks on behalf the state's House-banked card room industry.

Public card rooms were first legalized by the State Legislature in 1974. House-banking was authorized in 1997, and House-banked card rooms (HBCR’s) have become an important segment of our state’s hospitality industry. At its peak in 2005, the industry employed 10,400 people—the same number of people Boeing employees at its Renton plant. It generated $302 million in receipts and contributed more than $55 million in state and local taxes.

Most card room jobs are living-wage jobs, because tips increase compensation by two to three times minimum wage.

In addition to $218 million in wages, card rooms spent millions more on equipment, supplies and services. The state Office of Financial Management (OFM) estimates that the economic multiplier effect attributed to comparable businesses generates an additional 7,000 jobs statewide.

House-banked card rooms operate in 46 communities across the state, from Aberdeen to Zillah. Gambling taxes are levied by the individual jurisdictions at rates of up to 20% of gross receipts. In 2009, these taxes amounted to over $25 million, helping to fund vital community services.

HBCR's are valued partners to the communities in which they operate, as evidenced by the fact that a number of local governments have reduced their gambling tax rates in an effort to keep card rooms operating. In 2008, Lakewood voters overwhelmingly supported their card rooms via a ballot issue, as did Tukwila voters in 2011.

Board of Directors

• Chris Kealy • President
  Iron Horse Casino • Auburn

• Victor Mena • Vice President
  Washington Gold Casinos:
  Club Hollywood • Shoreline
  Red Dragon • Mountlake Terrace
  Coyote Bob's Roadhouse • Kennewick
  Golden Nugget • Tukwila
  Crazy Moose • Mountlake Terrace, Pasco
  Royal Casinos • Everett
  Silver Dollar Casinos • Millcreek, Renton, Sea Tac

• George Teeny • 2nd Vice President/Sergeant at Arms
  New Phoenix/Last Frontier • La Center

• Jo England • Treasurer
  New Phoenix/Last Frontier • La Center

• Max Faulkner • Past President
  Joker's Casino • Richland
  Wild Goose • Ellensburg
  Roxy's Casino • Seattle

• David Fretz
  Great American Casinos • Lakewood, Tukwila, Kent, Everett

• Bill Peare
  Maverick's Casino • Cle Elum

• Tim Iszley • Puget Sound Gaming
  Riverside Casino • Tukwila
  Goldie's Casino • Shoreline
  Chips & Palace Casinos • Lakewood
  Wizards Casino • Burien

Staff & Consultants

Dolores manages all RGA operations and leads the association's advocacy efforts on behalf of house-banked card rooms, their employees and vendors, and the state's nontribal recreational gaming industry in general.

She is a seasoned professional and has been a registered lobbyist since 1991, representing the RGA before the Washington State Legislature and regulatory agencies, including the Washington State Gambling Commission.

With her long experience in the industry, Dolores is recognized as an expert resource on gaming issues. Governor Locke called on her in 2004 to join the Task Force on Problem Gambling, which developed legislation for an industry funded state program of problem gambling awareness, treatment and education. She continues to serve as an industry representative on the Board of Directors of the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling and chairs the Problem Gambling Advisory Committee to the State Department of Behavioral Health Resources.

Dolores is also a longtime member of the Washington Society of Association Executives, served on its Board of Directors and was elected as President in 2008. She occasionally speaks to the Society's membership on issues such as association grassroots advocacy.

Dolores has been a faculty member of the Seminar Group's annual Northwest Gaming Law Summit since 2007and has spoken on topics relating to gaming legislation and the future of gaming in the Northwest.

Dolores holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Washington State University and makes her home in Olympia.

RGA House-Banked Card Room Members

	SPOKANE 3023 E 28th Ave • Spokane, WA 99223
BUZZ INN STEAKHOUSE & CASINO	EAST WENATCHEE 280 Grant Rd East • Wenatchee, WA 98802
	YAKIMA 1901 Boggess Lane • Yakima, WA 98901
	LAKEWOOD 8200 Tacoma Mall Blvd • Lakewood, WA 98499
	SHORELINE 16716 Aurora Ave N • Shoreline, WA 98133
	KENNEWICK 3014 W Kennewick AVE • Kennewick, WA 99336
	MOUNTLAKE TERRACE 22003 66th Ave W Ste A • Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 PASCO 510 S 20th Ave • Pasco, WA 99301
	RENTON 361 Rainier Ave S • Renton, WA 98055
	FIFE 3410 Pacific Hwy E • Fife, WA 98424
	RENTON 111 S 3rd • Renton, WA 98055
	TUKWILA 14025 Interurban Ave S • Tukwila, WA 98168
	SHORELINE 15030 Aurora Ave N • Shoreline, WA 98133
	EVERETT 12715 4th Ave W • Everett, WA 98204 KENT 20500 108th Ave SE • Kent, WA 98031 LAKEWOOD 10117 S Tacoma Way • Lakewood, WA 98499 TUKWILA 14040 Interurban Ave S • Tukwila, WA 98168
	LACEY 8318 Quinault Dr NE • Lacey, WA 98516
	AUBURN 333 15th Street NE • Auburn, WA 98002
JOKER'S CASINO SPORTS BAR & FIESTA CD RM	RICHLAND 624 Wellsian Way • Richland, WA 99352
LANCER LANES AND CASINO	CLARKSTON 1250 Bridge Street • Clarkston, WA 99403-2219
LAST FRONTIER	LA CENTER 105 4th St • La Center, WA 98629-0000
	CLE ELUM 100 N Harris Ave • Cle Elum, WA 98922
	LA CENTER 225 W 4th St • La Center, WA 98629
PALACE CASINO	LAKEWOOD 8200 Tacoma Mall Blvd Ste B • Lakewood, WA 98499
	MOSES LAKE 1165 N Stratford Rd • Moses Lake, WA 98837
PARKER'S SPORTS BAR & CASINO	SHORELINE 17001 Aurora Avenue N. • Shoreline, WA 98133
	MOUNTLAKE TERRACE 21917 Hwy 99 • Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043
RIVERSIDE CASINO	TUKWILA 14060 Interurban Ave S • Tukwila, WA 98168
	SEATTLE 11829 Renton Ave S • Seattle, WA 98178
	SEATTLE 2823 SW Roxbury St • Seattle, WA 98126
	EVERETT 13010 Hwy 99 S • Everett, WA 98204
	MILL CREEK 17917 Bothell Everett Hwy • Bothell, WA 98012 RENTON 3100 E Valley Rd • Renton, WA 98057 SEA TAC 19222 S International Blvd • Sea Tac, WA 98188
SLO PITCH PUB & EATERY	BELLENGHAM 3720 Meridian St • Bellingham, WA 98225
	ELLENSBURG 1600 N Currier • Ellensburg, WA 98926
WIZARDS CASINO	BURIEN 15739 Ambaum Blvd SW • Burien, WA 98166
Z'S RESTAURANT AT ZEPPOZ	PULLMAN 780 SE Bishop Blvd • Pullman, WA 99163

IN MEMORIAM

Vito T. Chiechi

Our dear friend and long-time counselor, Vito Chiechi passed away last summer. He was widely recognized as the "Dean" of legislative politics in Olympia and was deeply respected for his integrity, loyalty, and commitment to the political process.

Vito’s efforts were instrumental in saving our industry through his innovative and untiring efforts to bring house-banked gaming to struggling card rooms. The legislation passed in 1997, and house-banked card rooms today are an important segment of the state's hospitality and recreational gaming industry.

We Are the RGA