Sports betting in Washington DC is back online after a budget delay forced the district’s lone online sportsbook from taking bets for a day. Not only is sports betting back online it’s expanding.
FanDuel Sportsbook relaunched in DC on Wednesday after shutting down a day earlier due to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s delay considering the 2025 fiscal budget. Bowser has now returned to the budget unsigned which has allowed the district’s Office of Lottery and Gaming to go forward with sports betting changes that will expand offerings in DC.
An Office of Lottery and Gaming spokesperson clarified the issue in a statement that said, “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.
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 operator.”
Prior to the expansion, DC sports bettors had only one sportsbook they could use District-wide to place bets – FanDuel. FanDuel replaced the widely unpopular Intralots GambetDC app in April of this year. The budget passed in June now allows up to seven online sportsbooks to partners with the city’s professional sports franchises.
Currently only three sportsbooks have been given permission by the Office of Lottery and Gaming to go live in the district. They include FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM Sportsbook.
Caesars has operated an in-person sportsbook at Capital One Arena since 2020. It launched their online sportsbook app in DC in partnership with the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals.
BetMGM has also run an in-person sportsbook for several years at Nationals Park. They launched their online sportsbook in partnership with the Washington Nationals.
Other online sportsbooks expected to launch soon in Washington DC include DraftKings Sportsbook and Fanatics Sportsbook. DraftKings has promoted an online launch in DC on their social media channels but have not listed a date. Fanatics has an in-person sportsbook at Commanders Field and has also announced plans to launch district-wide but have not included any launch dates.