BetMGM Takes First DC Sports Betting Action, William Hill Still Leads


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DC sports betting

William Hill faced its first real competition in the DC sports betting market from a nationally known sportsbook in June.

For now, though, it appears BetMGM has more work to do before William Hill feels the pressure.

The BetMGM debut gave the nation’s capital two commercial DC sportsbooks when it launched through a partnership with the Washington Nationals in mid-June.

The mobile sportsbook, geofenced to within two blocks of Nationals Park just like William Hill is at Capital One Arena, did not generate a ton of action in its first 21 days though.

June breakdown of DC sports betting

A quick glance at June’s action including DC Lottery-run GambetDC shows William Hill is still the top sportsbook:

OperatorHandleRevenueHold %June Market Share %
William Hill$15,700,815$1,592,42510.1%80.4%
GambetDC$3,440,931$517,99015.1%17.6%
BetMGM$376,662$81,07021.5%1.9%
Total$19,518,408$2,191,48511.2%

June marked the biggest month yet for William Hill from a handle standpoint.

Total bet share was not as lopsided, though William Hill still had a decent lead. William Hill took 130,926 bets in June, or 58.9% of the 222,310 total. GambetDC had 37% of all bets while BetMGM handled 4.1%.

No physical sportsbook yet for BetMGM

A physical sportsbook will be one of the easiest ways for BetMGM to increase its bet volume. The sportsbook will be connected to Nationals Park. It will serve as both a spot for fans to place their bets but also as a reminder the app is available while inside the stadium.

That physical book will open later this year, according to MGM Resorts’ release.

How hard BetMGM fights for a piece of the DC sports betting market is still unknown though. It is already active to the south in Virginia and should be one of the first sportsbooks whenever sports betting in Maryland goes live.

DC sports betting  auditor report still overdue

June is just the latest example of a broken sports betting system in Washington DC. Bettors clearly are not interested in paying the premium on Intralot’s higher-juiced odds just to place their bets from most areas throughout in the District.

Luckily for those in DC, the market does not have to look this way. The Office of the DC Auditor hopes a look at the District’s market and how it compares to other states should be finished by the end of the month.

Commercial operators could have District-wide mobile access instead of the two-block radius under the sports betting law. Operators would have to pay a 20% tax on sports betting revenue instead of just 10% they pay now for limited access.

The model is supposed to be dictated by whichever makes the most money for DC. Given how the Office of Lottery & Gaming keeps walking back DC sports betting forecasts, a change could certainly be on the way.