DC sports betting is back after a delay in the budgeting process forced the District’s only app to stop taking bets, and the market is truly open for the first time in its five years.
FanDuel relaunched on Wednesday after temporarily shutting down while Mayor Muriel Bowser considered the 2025 fiscal budget. Bowser has since returned the budget unsigned, allowing the Office of Lottery and Gaming to implement its DC sports betting changes that vastly expand the market.
“The Office of Lottery and Gaming has received official notice that the Mayor has returned the Sports Wagering Amendment Emergency Act of 2024 to the City Council unsigned,” an OLG spokesperson said. “The Mayor’s action of returning the Bill, unsigned, means the Bill is now in effect. This new legislation will open the District of Columbia sports wagering market to more operators.”
No more monopoly for DC bettors
DC sports bettors have been limited to one sports betting app since the market launched in 2020. DC laws have, however, allowed a few apps to take bets from within limited geofenced confines tied to sports arenas.
FanDuel became the sole District-wide operator in April, replacing Intralot’s GambetDC, which has been much maligned for a myriad of issues over its four-year run.
The budget passed in June allows up to seven sports betting apps via partnerships with the city’s professional sports franchises. The change is a result of a push by Councilman Kenyan McDuffie.
Who is launching DC sports betting?
Only three apps have received the green light, however, according to a press release from the OLG:
- Caesars
- BetMGM
- FanDuel
Caesars goes mobile in DC
Caesars was the first of the District’s two new apps to join. It launched Wednesday afternoon through a partnership with the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards.
“D.C. sports fans have always displayed an incredible passion for their teams,” Eric Hession, President of Caesars Digital, said in a press release. “Expanding access to our mobile sports betting app across the district will only enhance their fan experience, and we look forward to deepening the connection we’ve established with them since our historic opening in 2021. We’d like to thank Mayor Bowser, Chairman Mendelson, Councilmember McDuffie and the D.C. Council for their leadership on sports betting as well as the Office of Lottery and Gaming.”
Caesars has operated an in-person sportsbook at Capital One Arena since 2020. That in-person sportsbook often outgained Intralot’s GambetDC mobile app.
BetMGM launches in step
BetMGM went live a few hours after Caesars.
“After three years of bringing unparalleled, omnichannel experiences to sports fans and supporting the D.C. metropolitan community through our partnership with the Washington Nationals, fans can now bet on their favorite teams with BetMGM across the District with our award-winning mobile app,” CEO Adam Greenblatt said in a press release.
BetMGM is partnered with the Washington Nationals and has run an in-person sportsbook at Nationals Park for several years.
Who else could join?
DraftKings is promoting an upcoming DC launch on social media but has not yet made a formal announcement.
Fanatics, which has an in-person sportsbook at Commanders Field, has also stated it wants to launch districtwide mobile betting.
Neither company responded to a request for comment.
