State votes to allow axe-throwing at businesses with liquor licenses

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board voted Wednesday to allow businesses with liquor licenses to offer axe-throwing as an activity to their customers.

The licensing division says it has been receiving applications from businesses that either had axe-throwing as their primary activity and wanted to add liquor or from established liquor-licensed businesses that wanted to add axe-throwing since 2018.

In April 2021, the board approved an agreement with an individual axe-throwing business that allowed them to have a liquor license for one year under a pilot program with safety parameters in place.

Following a public comment period, the board developed rules that would require liquor-licensed establishments that offer axe-throwing to create a safety operating plan for their businesses.

These safety plans would require businesses to have protocols for monitoring patrons’ intoxication and consumption of alcohol, as well as floor plans that designate consumption areas where alcohol is allowed, with barriers separating them from axe-throwing areas.

The licensing division is currently working to create a template for the safety operating plans and application instructions for businesses.

Businesses with liquor licenses will be allowed to apply to offer axe-throwing by July 9, when the rules approved by the board are scheduled to go into effect.

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