DC Suspends Online Sports Betting Briefly
Caesars, BetMGM Up and Running in Nation's Capital
Sports bettors in the nation’s capital were back at it Wednesday morning. Sports betting in Washington, D.C., came to abrupt halt while waiting on Mayor Muriel E. Bowser to approve the city’s budget.
While Bowser had problems with several issues in the budget, sports betting wasn’t one of them. The DC suspends online sports betting saga was over Wednesday morning. Caesars went live that morning, while BetMGM went live Wednesday afternoon. That fills two of the six new slots for sportsbooks in Washington, D.C. The additional sportsbooks were added in the budget process.
The DC suspends online sports betting ordeal began on Tuesday morning, when the FanDuel betting app went offline. FanDuel replaced the ill-fated GambetDC app in April. The city took in far more during the first month of having FanDuel as its official online sportsbook than it did with GamebetDC in a year. That made the move to getting the online sports betting issue sorted out as soon as possible.
BetMGM had planned to start its app on Monday, but its plans were halted while the budget matter was being dealt with. Bowser never signed the budget, but didn’t veto it, either. Certain provisions of the budget are now allowed to take effect, with sports betting being one of them. That’s good news for those who wanted to lay their best bets in the WNBA Wednesday night.
More Sportsbooks on the Way
When it comes to the legalization process in sports betting, bettors have to take the good with the bad. The bad was obviously DC suspends online sports betting, although it’s been sorted out. The good, however, is that Washington, D.C., sports bettors are getting more sportsbooks to choose from.
BetMGM and Caesars were likely candidates and now operating in the state. Both previously operated in Washington, D.C., but you had to be within two blocks of Nationals Park or Capital One Arena for the app to work. Bettors can now wager from anywhere in the city through either sportsbook.
The big question DC sports bettors want to know is ‘Who’s next?’The most obvious answer is going to be DraftKings. DraftKings made several social media posts on Tuesday that pretty much made it clear its planning on operating in Washington, D.C., any day now. “DC! Join the best with #DKSportsbook and get ready for some great action!” DraftKings posted on X Tuesday. That was before the brief sports betting suspension.
DC! Join the best with #DKSportsbook and get ready for some great action! 👀⬇
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) July 16, 2024
Fanatics is another likely entrant into the Washington, D.C., market. In May, Fanatics, along with BetMGM, Caesars and DraftKings testified in front of the Washington, D.C., City Council’s Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. BetMGM sportsbook and Caesars are in. DraftKings appears very likely to be entering the fray shortly. It would make sense for Fanatics to join the mix.
There could be some competition for the remaining open spots. ESPN Bet looks as though it’s trying to expand into new markets. BetRivers and bet365 are also possibilities. There could also be a surprise entry or two waiting in the wings. Regardless, Washington, D.C., sports bettors have a lot more reasons to be happier than they were just four months ago.
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