Great news for residents of Washington DC as sports betting is about to get much easier… if the city’s budget gets approved. Yes, what started as promising news for sports betting expansion in the city has become a roadblock. We’ll break down what’s happening, timelines, and potential perks for DC residents if everything goes according to plan.
Must be 21+. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call or Text 1-800-GAMBLER.
As of the time of writing on July 16th, DC has no legal full district sportsbooks. FanDuel has held a monopoly over DC through its partnership with Inralot since April after the city’s Gambet DC sportsbook failed. Intralot has controlled online sports betting in DC since 2019 when the Office of Lottery and Gaming awarded them an exclusive contract. However, that contract expired yesterday, meaning Intralot, and FanDuel by extension, can no longer offer district-wide online sportsbooks. In fact, no one can.
This wasn’t an unforeseen issue though, just the opposite. With the expiration of the contract the Office of Lottery and Gaming is expanding the number of available contracts for sportsbooks. That means for the first time, DC residents will have options for district-wide online sportsbooks, which is great. There is just one issue. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser hasn’t signed the fiscal budget for 2025 yet, placing the entire expansion on pause.
As the situation has fallen to a standstill, we can only wait. With much more in the fiscal budget than the sportsbook expansion, the budget could take a while to be signed. However, there is a timeline. Mayor Bowser has 10 days to sign the budget, which means at the latest, this will be resolved by the 25th of July. If the mayor hasn’t signed it by then, the legislation automatically goes into effect.
In the meantime, several sportsbooks are chomping at the bit to get fully established in DC. With BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings expected to acquire licenses to operate in all of DC. Currently, BetMGM and Caesar already operate in DC through their partnerships with local teams. BetMGM has operated out of the Washington Nationals Arena since 2022, with Caesars similarly at the Capital One Arena.
The floodgates are set to open for DC residents whenever the budget is signed. With sportsbooks lining up some stellar offers left and right, this will be a great time to take advantage of the offers!
Stay tuned for more information, as we follow this story. We'll bring you any important updates, and information you may need in the coming days!
21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-877-770-7867(CO), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), 1-888-532-3500 (VA).