2023 Legal Washington DC Sports Betting

Washington, D.C. Sports Betting And Gambling Laws

Answering the question, “Is sports betting legal in Washington DC”, is easier than ever in 2023. In early 2019,B22-0944 became D.C. Law 22-312 when it passed to allow for legal DC sports betting. While betting on pro sports in DC is permitted, there are restrictions against betting on local college teams. This includes in-district collegiate teams as well as betting on Washington, D.C. based events.

Sportsbook locations will be confined to areas of stadiums of professional teams as there are no casinos in the District. Each licensed location will be allowed to open up their own internet application for sports betting as well as have what amounts to a two-block exclusivity zone where they could open other sports betting locations for an extra licensing fee per location. Other land-based sportsbooks are allowed to operate as well, but they must be located outside of a two-block radius of a stadium. There is also a D.C. Lotto-regulated online sportsbook available throughout the district alongside the internationally-based options. Taxes are set at 10% on all revenue acquired from gambling on sporting events for D.C. sportsbooks.

Washington, D.C. Sports Betting Timeline

October 24, 2022 – Councilmember Elissa Silverman introduces DC sports betting bill – The Sports Wagering and Fair Competition Amendment Act of 2022. This would remove Intralot’s online sports betting monopoly and raise the tax rate to 15%.

March 3, 2022 – The D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming claims that the Super Bowl outage for iPhone users was a result of a failure by Intralot, their partnered gaming supplier, at a hearing.

February 14, 2022 – GambetDC is unavailable for iPhone users to bet on the Super Bowl after failing to receive approval from Apple for a required update ahead of kickoff.

February 1, 2022 – BetMGM launches their retail sportsbook at Nationals Park, home of the MLB’s Washington Nationals. The sportsbook operates daily, regardless of the Nationals’ schedule.

December 28, 2021 – D.C.’s three commercial online sportsbooks vastly outperform GambetDC, the D.C. Lottery-run platform.

September 9, 2021 – The Office of the District of Columbia Auditor declares that an audit revealed that GambetDC offers an inferior product compared to Caesars Sportsbook.

September 1, 2021 – The first Class B sports betting license is issued in Washington, D.C. to Grand Central LLC for Grand Central Bar and Grill.

December 29, 2020 – William Hill officially launches their Capital One Arena-based online sportsbook, available in a two-block radius of the arena.

August 31, 2020 – Retail sportsbooks launch in Washington, D.C.

August 3, 2020 – William Hill opens the first stadium-based sportsbook in the United States at the Capital One Arena.

May 28, 2020 – Online sportsbooks launch in Washington, D.C. and begin accepting wagers.

May 3, 2019 – B22-0944 is signed, officially regulating sports betting in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. Sports Betting Restrictions

Sports bettors using D.C.-regulated sportsbooks will have some sports betting restrictions to keep in mind. Bettors will not be able to wager on any D.C.-based college teams, such as George Washington or Georgetown, nor will they be able to bet on college events that take place in D.C. Also, DC regular sportsbooks are not taking bets on any Esports action at this time. If you looking for college football betting, DC residents can utilize offshore sportsbooks like Bovada. This is also how you can find Esports sportsbooks in DC. Lastly, and this says true for most sportsbooks in the US, any betting on players under the age of 18 is prohibited.

Betting On The NFL In Washington DC

Many Washington DC sportsbooks take NFL bets all year long. The District accepts NFL bets through retail sportsbooks, District-regulated online books, and internationally regulated online betting sites like Bovada. You can wager on the Washington Commanders to crush their season win total or place random bets throughout the week on the upcoming NFL Sunday. For fans of the Super Bowl, all of these NFL sports betting sites accept future wagers on the big event and offer hundreds of bets on the set matchup.

How To Bet On The Hoyas In The District Of Columbia

Sports bettors of the District of Columbia can run into some issues when trying to place bets on in-district college events or on in-district college teams such as Georgetown and George Washington. This is due to local laws, which prevent bettors of the district from placing such wagers. District of Columbia bettors that would still like to bet on in-district colleges and events may do so by utilizing one of the many legal, overseas-based online sportsbooks. This type of sportsbook operates outside of U.S. federal, state, and local jurisdiction.

Washington D.C. Sports Betting Revenue

The D.C. Lottery releases D.C. sports betting revenue reports each month. Since launching in May of 2020, Washington D.C. has handled nearly $305 million in sports wagers, good for nearly $45 million in sports betting revenue. Washington D.C.’s strongest sports betting handle came in October 2021 ($26.3 million). During the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl the amount bet on sports in DC eclipsed $37.8 million.

Washington DC Sports Betting Venues

FanDuel Sportsbook at Audi Stadium

FanDuel Sportsbook opened up its retail-only sportsbook on July 8th, 2021 at Audi Stadium, home to DC United. The popular national chain operates within the stadium with three betting windows, 18 or more sports betting kiosks, and 48+ televisions to watch the bets in action.

BetMGM

BetMGM is a top-tier, D.C. – regulated sportsbook available within two blocks of the Washington Nationals’ Nationals Park. It offers a wide variety of features, including live betting, and offers very valuable betting lines. The one negative aspect of BetMGM’s online sportsbook is that they do not offer in-district collegiate lines, meaning users will have to take to our recommended internationally-based sportsbooks for that type of betting action.

Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill

Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill is another top-tier, D.C.-regulated sportsbook with geographic restrictions. This sportsbook is only available within a two-block radius of Capital One Arena. Like the other established, state-regulated sportsbooks, Caesars offers a huge variety of betting lines, though none are available featuring in-district college sports.

GambetDC

GambetDC is the District of Columbia’s sole district-wide internet sportsbook, making online sports betting available throughout the district. While this is certainly a good thing for accessibility’s sake, the sportsbook, with a monopoly on sports betting throughout the district, offers fairly poor betting odds. It also does not offer in-district collegiate events or teams. Sports bettors would be wise to use an internationally-based online sportsbook, such as Bovada, which will offer much fairer lines.

Ben’s Next Door

Ben’s Next Door is a retail sportsbook in Washington, D.C., offering a huge variety of sports betting features and odds. As a land-based sportsbook, they offer a laundry list of features and betting odds compared to online sportsbooks, but the trade-off is that you must physically travel to the sportsbook to participate.

BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park

The BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park is another land-based sportsbook in D.C., tethered to the Washington Nationals’ Nationals Park. It is only accessible while on-location at the stadium, but there is a mobile app available within a two-block radius of the park.

Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena

Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena is a land-based sportsbook similarly located inside a professional sports stadium. It can only be accessed by traveling to the stadium itself, though – like Nationals Park – users can access the mobile app within two blocks of the stadium.

Dirty Waters Sports Bar

Dirty Waters sports bar offers a full-service sportsbook. As one of a handful of sportsbooks located at bars in DC, bettors would be hard-pressed to find somewhere better that they can combine the social aspect of bars with the fun of sports betting. Like all other D.C.-regulated sportsbooks, they cannot offer odds on in-district college teams or events.

Grand Central Restaraunt, Bar, & Sportsbook

Grand Central Restaurant has been a fixture of DC social life for years, and they finally have a regulated sportsbook available for customers. Bettors can grab a bite, sip on a cold drink, and bet on sports at this retail sportsbook. They offer a wide variety of betting odds, but do not offer betting odds on in-district college teams or events.

Lou’s City Bar

Lou’s City Bar is a favorite among DC locals, and now has a full-service retail sportsbook available for patrons, making it a top choice for sports bettors and bar-goers alike. While Lou’s City Bar offers a full-service sportsbook, they may not offer any odds on in-district college teams or events as a result of district regulations.

Over Under Sportsbook Bar And Lounge

This sportsbook became the first sportsbook located inside a strip club. This DC sportsbook is located on the rooftop of the Cloakroom, an adult entrainment establishment. There are self-service kiosks and betting windows taking wagers from DC players. Even though the legal sports betting age is 18 and up in DC, this sportsbook requires you to be over the age of 21.

Takoma Station Tavern

The Takoma Station Tavern is the final in-district retail sportsbook in DC, and offers just as wide a variety of sportsbook features and betting odds as the other retail sportsbooks. Despite their expansive betting odds offerings, sports bettors will be unable to wager on in-district college teams or events.

Daily Fantasy Sports In DC

The legalization of Washington DC sports betting did not directly include Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) but it is still perfectly legal to partake in the pastime in the District. Residents have the ability to participate in various DFS wagers and games through different sites. Doing so will in no way result in any kind of trouble unless of course you lose and then you’re out a few bucks that could’ve been used elsewhere. In conclusion, legal betting sites in DC that offer Daily Fantasy are perfectly safe and secure for all players.