Applicants and licensees — Responsibilities and duties — Waiver of liability — Investigation statement as privileged.
RCW 9.46.153
in effect(1) It shall be the affirmative responsibility of each applicant and licensee to establish by clear and convincing evidence the necessary qualifications for licensure of each person required to be qualified under this chapter, as well as the qualifications of the facility in which the licensed activity will be conducted; (2) All applicants and licensees shall consent to inspections, searches and seizures and the supplying of handwriting examples as authorized by this chapter and rules adopted hereunder; (3) All licensees, and persons having any interest in licensees, including but not limited to employees and agents of licensees, and other persons required to be qualified under this chapter or rules of the commission shall have a duty to inform the commission or its staff of any action or omission which they believe would constitute a violation of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant thereto. No person who so informs the commission or the staff shall be discriminated against by an applicant or licensee because of the supplying of such information; (4) All applicants, licensees, persons who are operators or directors thereof and persons who otherwise have a substantial interest therein shall have the continuing duty to provide any assistance or information required by the commission and to investigations conducted by the commission. If, upon issuance of a formal request to answer or produce information, evidence or testimony, any applicant, licensee or officer or director thereof or person with a substantial interest therein, refuses to comply, the applicant or licensee may be denied or revoked by the commission; (5) All applicants and licensees shall waive any and all liability as to the state of Washington, its agencies, employees and agents for any damages resulting from any disclosure or publication in any manner, other than a wilfully unlawful disclosure or publication, of any information acquired by the commission during its licensing or other investigations or inquiries or hearings; (6) Each applicant or licensee may be photographed for investigative and identification purposes in accordance with rules of the commission; (7) An application to receive a license under this chapter or rules adopted pursuant thereto constitutes a request for determination of the applicant's and those person's with an interest in the applicant, general character, integrity and ability to engage or participate in, or be associated with, gambling or related activities impacting this state. Any written or oral statement made in the course of an official investigation, proceeding or process of the commission by any member, employee or agent thereof or by any witness, testifying under oath, which is relevant to the investigation, proceeding or process, is absolutely privileged and shall not impose any liability for slander, libel or defamation, or constitute any grounds for recovery in any civil action.
(1) It shall be the affirmative responsibility of each applicant and licensee to establish by clear and convincing evidence the necessary qualifications for licensure of each person required to be qualified under this chapter, as well as the qualifications of the facility in which the licensed activity will be conducted;
(2) All applicants and licensees shall consent to inspections, searches and seizures and the supplying of handwriting examples as authorized by this chapter and rules adopted hereunder;
(3) All licensees, and persons having any interest in licensees, including but not limited to employees and agents of licensees, and other persons required to be qualified under this chapter or rules of the commission shall have a duty to inform the commission or its staff of any action or omission which they believe would constitute a violation of this chapter or rules adopted pursuant thereto. No person who so informs the commission or the staff shall be discriminated against by an applicant or licensee because of the supplying of such information;
(4) All applicants, licensees, persons who are operators or directors thereof and persons who otherwise have a substantial interest therein shall have the continuing duty to provide any assistance or information required by the commission and to investigations conducted by the commission. If, upon issuance of a formal request to answer or produce information, evidence or testimony, any applicant, licensee or officer or director thereof or person with a substantial interest therein, refuses to comply, the applicant or licensee may be denied or revoked by the commission;
(5) All applicants and licensees shall waive any and all liability as to the state of Washington, its agencies, employees and agents for any damages resulting from any disclosure or publication in any manner, other than a wilfully unlawful disclosure or publication, of any information acquired by the commission during its licensing or other investigations or inquiries or hearings;
(6) Each applicant or licensee may be photographed for investigative and identification purposes in accordance with rules of the commission;
(7) An application to receive a license under this chapter or rules adopted pursuant thereto constitutes a request for determination of the applicant's and those person's with an interest in the applicant, general character, integrity and ability to engage or participate in, or be associated with, gambling or related activities impacting this state. Any written or oral statement made in the course of an official investigation, proceeding or process of the commission by any member, employee or agent thereof or by any witness, testifying under oath, which is relevant to the investigation, proceeding or process, is absolutely privileged and shall not impose any liability for slander, libel or defamation, or constitute any grounds for recovery in any civil action.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.46&full=trueFetched: 6/28/2026