Sports betting in Washington, DC
Since the federal ban on sports betting came to an end in May 2018, most states in the country have been looking at the possibility of legalized sports betting.
Washington, DC, has made rapid strides to having its own version of sports betting. The Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act 2018 was on a fast track to approval in the capital.
William Hill is the exclusive sports betting partner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment teams, including the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics, and its sportsbook at Capital One Arena is. Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis said Wednesday he hopes there will be a sports betting location on the Capital One Arena grounds. Its future home could be the Greene Turtle restaurant, which. There is one other spot to legally place bets in the District: Capital One Arena. Back in August, William Hill - one of the nation's top sportsbook operators - paid $500,000 for a five-year license.
It was introduced on December 4 by Councilman Jack Evans and it was quickly passed by an 11-2 vote. Other states took many months to get past this stage, but it only took a few weeks in Washington.
The bill would levy a 10% tax on the gross revenues from sportsbooks. The license fee for the district’s sporting arenas was set at $500,000. Other establishments looking to offer sports betting would be subject to a $100,000 license fee. There could be future revisions to these license fees.
For those partnering with local businesses, discounts will be offered on the license fees. Only private establishments like restaurants and bars can offer sports betting, in addition to the sporting arenas.
Stumbling block overcome
The entire control of the sector would be in the hands of the DC Lottery, which would be the only operator outside of the sporting arenas for the foreseeable future. That was the main stumbling block on the issue.
Many did not want the lottery authority to have exclusivity. Everything was going well and it looked as if sportsbooks would be open by July 1. However, Mayor Muriel Bowser took her time signing this bill into law. Then there was a major snag.
At a meeting on January 8, the DC Council decided that legal sports betting would no longer be a priority and bill went from being an emergency measure to a normal legislative measure. Therefore, it required a public hearing before getting approval.
The Mayor finally signed the bill on January 22. However, before it becomes law, there will be a 60 day review period. This is because it contains a fiscal impact, requiring review by the US Congress.
Overcoming obstacles
In mid-February, the council approved a new bill to speed up the implementation of sports betting. There will be no competitive bidding process under this bill.
The DC Lottery chose Intralot to offer sports betting in the district. This means that Intralot will be the only provider of mobile sports betting in DC. The council believes that sports betting would arrive a lot faster if there was only a single operator and no bidding process.
It was thought that the bidding process could take as long as two years to complete. This bill also needs to be signed by the Mayor before a contract can be set in stone. Once there is a contract between Intralot and DC, it will have to get approval from the council. Therefore, it seems that legal sports betting will be open for business by the fall.
Sporting arenas
Ted Leonsis, owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals, has confirmed that sports betting will be coming to the Capital One Arena. It looks as if a former restaurant in the arena will be transformed into a sportsbook.
The arena hosts both teams and MGM Resorts is the official gaming partner of both leagues.
While MGM cannot get access to the standard Washington DC sports betting market, there are exceptions for four facilities in the district. These are the Capital One Arena, Audi Field, Nationals Park, and the St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena.
The fee will be $250,000 for five years and there will be an exclusivity zone, with no competition within a two-block radius. These sportsbooks will probably be allowed to offer a mobile sportsbook app only inside of the exclusivity zone.
Lawmakers in Washington DC have officially approved sports gambling. Recently, several groups here have pushed to allow sports betting in Capital One Arena. It’s now looking like this is closer to happening than many expected.
The owner of this famous arena claims to have secured a deal with a major sports betting operator. Let’s take a look at this city’s road to sports betting legalization, and how sports gambling could become available inside the Capital One Arena.
Washington DC’s Road to Sports Betting Legalization
Sports betting has never been more popular in the US than it is right now. For many years, only Nevada was legally allowed to offer sports wagering options. In May of 2018, the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, giving every state in the country the ability to set laws on the sports betting industry.
Almost immediately after PASPA was removed, New Jersey chose to legalize sports gambling. It’s proven to be an extremely lucrative industry for this state. New Jersey’s sports betting market now earns more than Las Vegas.
In 2018, prior to PASPA being removed, lawmakers in Washington DC approved the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act. This Act made it possible for the state to allow sports gambling after the federal ban was removed. In May of 2019, officials in DC put the Act into effect and sports betting was made officially legal.
It’s still unclear when the first legal sports wagers will be made in this state. Many companies are looking to break into this new market. Interestingly, the city’s biggest sports arena is now preparing to offer in-arena sports wagering options.
Owner Confirms Sports Betting in Capital One Arena is Coming
For months, officials at Monumental Sports and Entertainment have discussed plans to open sports betting in Capital One Arena. Ted Leonsis, owner of this sports arena and CEO of MSE, talked about his goal to open sports gambling options here back in April.
“There will be a sportsbook inside the building accessible from the outside and depending on the league and depending on the event, it might be accessible from the inside as well,” he said.
Leonsis owns the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, who both play inside this arena. He believes that offering sports betting options inside the arena would help to bring in more visitors and generate massive revenue earnings. This week, Leonsis confirmed that sports betting in Capital One Arena is one its way.
In an official press release, the owner revealed this his company had partnered with William Hill to open a sportsbook inside the arena. William Hill is one of the top gambling companies based in the UK. It’s focused on expanding into the US market and is now operating in 10 different states.
William Hill will soon begin construction on a multi-level sportsbook inside this sports arena. It will be open seven days a week, even when no sporting events are taking place. Leonsis recently commented on this company’s role moving forward.
“William Hill will manage and be solely responsible for the business of the sportsbook and ensure that we as the team franchises never touch the money. We are always pushing the limits on what’s possible in sports. Monumental has led the way on sports gaming and is among the first in sports to integrate real-time data into the live game experience.”
When Will Sports Betting Become Available Here?
Washington DC’s City Council voted to legalize sports betting late last year. Unfortunately, there have been several legal hurdles that have prevented any sports betting options to open up here. There is currently an injunction in place that’s making it impossible for any sportsbooks to start operating here.
It’s beginning to look like this injunction will soon be resolved. Several officials in this city have stated that the first sports betting options will become available here before the end of 2019.
According to signs posted inside the arena, sports betting in Capital One Arena will be available in 2020. Only those above the age of 21 will be able to place sports wagers here. This is an extremely exciting time for sports fans inside this city.
It’s still unclear exactly what forms of sports gambling will become available here. It’s likely that visitors will have the ability to place wagers on live sporting events taking place inside the arena.
Capital One Arena Sports Betting App
Make sure to stay tuned for more US sports betting news over the next new months!