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Is Online Gambling Legal In Washington Dc

Washington DC is officially part of the sports betting ranks! Gambet DC is the new sports betting platform, available on iOS and Android, run by the state lottery and powered by Intralot. The DC City Council approved a single vendor, Intralot, to be the official provider of sports betting in the district.

On Tuesday afternoon, lawmakers in the District of Columbia passed a bill that legalizes sports betting within its boundaries.

  • There are only a few legal gambling options in Washington DC. Read on to find out the current status of gaming in the nation’s capital and what’s ahead in 2019. Washington DC, offers lottery tickets for popular drawing like Powerball, Mega Millions and Lucky For Life at different retailers across the district.
  • Washington Post specifically named GTech, whose subsidiary GTechG2 is an online gambling software provider. All these businesses would potentially benefit from legalized online gambling in Washington DC and even in other states that follow the same path in the future.

The Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 rewrites the DC books to permit both retail and online/mobile sports gambling. The DC sports betting bill is subject to Congressional review, but an emergency measure also passed separately to allow for preparations in the interim.

The signature of Mayor Muriel Bowser is now the last immediate hurdle remaining, and she is not expected to veto the bill.

Lawmakers pass DC sports betting bill

The relevant bill (B 22-944) came up for its hearing midafternoon, with the sponsor presenting his proposal.

“We’re venturing into new territory with sports gaming,” Councilmember Jack Evans said. “I’m very excited that the District will be out of the box if this passes today.” He reiterated his desire to beat surrounding states Virginia and Maryland into the market.

Proceedings in the chamber were complicated slightly by the addition of three amendments, two of which did not appear critical to passage. One was important to operators, though: a proposal to leave data requirements to regulatory rules rather than burn them into the law’s language. The third (and seemingly most pivotal) amendment centered around the inclusion of disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses.

Although it passed, support for DC sports betting was not unanimous. Councilmember David Grasso provided the primary voice of opposition, citing concerns about problem gambling and mental health. In the end, the vote tally was 11-2.

The emergency bill now moves to the mayor for approval, while the permanent bill will go to US Congress for a 60-day review.

What will DC sports betting look like?

At its roots, DC sports betting will follow a lottery-operated framework similar to Delaware sports betting. The existing agency (District of Columbia Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board) will be rebranded as the new Office of Lottery and Gaming and charged with regulating and administering the industry.

In practice, though, the District’s product will look nothing like the ones in Delaware or Rhode Island (or any other state’s so far.)

As passed, the bill authorizes both land-based and online/mobile sports betting, which sets it off on a firm footing. A reasonable tax rate of 10 percent on revenue also suggests an effort to foster a competitive marketplace. Ten percent is on the lower end of the scale among states with legal sports betting — particularly lottery-based states.

The bill does not exclude betting on any particular sport or league, so regulations will determine those specifics. Folks directly involved in sports; however, like athletes and coaches, are not permitted to wager on their own league.

Mobile betting will primarily be offered through the lottery’s platform, powered by Intralot. There are, however, some apparent exceptions.

Class A licensees

In addition to District-wide mobile betting, the law authorizes retail sportsbooks inside four sports venues:

  • Capital One Arena
  • Audi Field
  • Nationals Park
  • St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena

These “designated facilities” are the only ones allowed to obtain Class A licenses.

Capital One Arena is home to the local NBA and NHL franchises, and the hometown MLB team plays its games at Nationals Park. The two other facilities host smaller professional leagues — MLS at Audi Field and WNBA at St. Elizabeths East. Interestingly, language that would have included the aging RFK Stadium in the above list was stricken.

The current language is somewhat vague, but each appears to be permitted to offer on-site mobile betting using either in-house or third-party platforms. That language reads like Mississippi‘s version of mobile: on-site only.

Each will enjoy a two-block exclusivity zone, inside of which no competition is allowed. These licenses cost $250,000 apiece and are valid for five years.

This provision should be especially enticing for local mogul Ted Leonsis, who owns the two pro teams that play at Capital One. In recent months, Leonsis has become a vocal proponent of bringing sports and gambling together inside arenas and stadiums.

Class B licensees and retail

Outside those zones, other establishments may apply to offer wagering as Class B licensees. They receive the same options as Class A facilities, minus the two-block exclusivity.

Class B sports betting licenses are also valid for five years, but they come at a discounted cost of $50,000. More limited two-year retail licenses cost $5,000 apiece.

Incidentally, the District occupies 68 square miles of terrain — or around 7,000 total blocks.

How did DC sports betting come to pass?

The idea of DC sports betting first appeared publicly in mid-September when Evans indicated he would present his proposal to the Council.

Things happened quickly in the months since. Here’s the timeline from start to finish:

  • Sep. 18: Evans publishes a press release indicating he has filed a sports betting bill (B 22-944).
  • Oct. 2: The sponsor offers additional details, expressing openness to in-arena betting and integrity fees.
  • Oct. 17: About 15 stakeholders testify during a public hearing, each working to shape the final version of the bill.

Pretty standard stuff so far. But then things started to get interesting:

  • Nov. 27: The night before the bill’s first committee hearing, Evans proposes amendments that include payment of an integrity fee to sports leagues. His goal is to trade those fees for the use of official league data.
  • Nov. 28: Nobody supports the proposal. The committee pushes back hard on the royalty fee, removing that section before advancing the bill to the full Council.
  • Dec. 3: In what would have been an unthinkable union a few months ago, leagues and operators team up to lobby for a new “license fee” akin to the royalty/integrity fee. They make no provision for data usage in exchange.
  • Dec. 3: That lobbying alliance unites to push back against a proposed single-operator model administered by Intralot. A document obtained by LSR reveals that Intralot is wildly exaggerating its revenue projections, and reporting from District Dig raises questions about Evans’ motives.
  • Dec. 4: Evans’ bill advances through its first reading by a 10-2 vote. The single-operator model sticks.

And on Dec. 18, the bill passes, barring any pushback from the mayor or Congress.

  • Lottery (1982)
  • $84 million
  • $225 million
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  • Washington D.C. does not permit smoking in any business not related to tobacco
  • No forms legal

There are no WashingtonD.C. casinos and there is only very limited gambling, and it may be because it is the capital of the United States. It is mostly an urban city without any real estate to place casino resorts or racetracks. The only form of legal gambling in Washington D.C. is the lottery. Local drawings are held multiple times each day. There are also three interstate lotto drawings. Keno and lottery terminals are also available.

Washington D.C. gambling is non-existent, but its residents can find casinos nearby. Maryland and West Virginia have casinos and racetracks. Atlantic City is a just a three-hour drive away.

Guide to Washington D.C. Casinos Map

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Types of Washington D.C. Online Gambling Allowed

There are no forms of legal online gambling in Washington D.C. Horse racing is available over the Internet in a majority of states, but not in Washington D.C. The District Lottery does not sell lottery tickets over the Internet. It tried in 2011, but the city council repealed it in 2012 before it ever went live.

Online casino gambling sites with poker and sports betting sites are illegal in Washington D.C. The companies that take that action are unlicensed. Like lottery tickets, the attempt to regulate online poker and casino games were repealed.

Daily fantasy sports sites claim that their contests are games of skill and Washington D.C.’s gaming law does not apply. FanDuel, DraftKings, CBS Sports, and Yahoo! are among the daily fantasy sites that accept players from Washington D.C.

Types of Live Gambling Allowed in Washington D.C.

  • Casino Games: No
  • Horses: No
  • Lottery: Yes

The only form of legal gambling allowed in Washington D.C. is through the District Lottery. Scratch-off tickets, lotto drawings, keno, and video lottery terminals are all legal. Keno is held every four minutes from 6am to 2am daily. Video lottery terminals are basically scratch-off tickets in video form. There is no poker or keno on the games.

The Washington D.C. Lottery controls charitable gambling. These nonprofit groups must register with the lottery to spread bingo, raffle drawings or casino nights.

Washington D.C. casino gamblers that want to place a few bets will have to look elsewhere. Racinos are available in both Maryland and West Virginia.

Washington D.C. Gambling Laws

The District Lottery is the only group that may spread or license gambling. Expansion does not require a citywide referendum. The minimum gambling age in Washington D.C. is 18 years.

Charities are permitted to spread bingo games, raffles and Monte Carlo nights. These Washington D.C. casino nights may include house banked games or Texas Hold’em. Nonprofit organizations must be in existence for at least one year and based on Washington D.C. to qualify for bingo and casino nights. Virginia and Maryland nonprofit organizations may sell raffle tickets in the District of Colombia. A minimum of 20 members is required, except for senior groups, where only 10 cardholders are needed to qualify as a charity.

Washington D.C. casinos, bookmaking, and unlicensed poker games are specifically illegal. Participation in illegal gambling is a misdemeanor.

List of Washington D.C. Casinos

There are more than 100 lottery retailers in Washington D.C. All sell instant game and lotto tickets. A handful of these establishments offers digital real money keno drawings every four minutes. Many of the keno outlets have digital instant games. There are some bingo nights and charity poker tournaments. These are not weekly events.

As stated above, those Washington D.C. casino enthusiasts will have to find their live gambling in the nearby states. You can head over to the Maryland casinos page for those that live nearby, or to the West Virginia casinos page. Resident can also take a quick 3-hour drive to the famous Atlantic City casinos located in New Jersey.

Washington D.C. Gambling History

All gambling was illegal in Washington D.C. until 1982. That is when the District Lottery was created. To this day, it is the only form of legalized gambling in the District of Colombia. The Washington D.C. Lottery also oversees charitable gambling, which is negligible in terms of revenue.

On April 7, 2011, the WashingtonD.C. City Councilapproved online poker and casino games as part of the lottery. This was one week before Black Friday, which put the three largest poker sites that accepted Americans – PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker – out of the market. The measure was attached to a budget and was never debated. Washington D.C. was the first state to legalize any form of online gambling in the country beyond horseracing.

Online Washington D.C. casinos and poker games would have been available to players 20 hours a day. Congress had the ability to veto the bill within 30 days of passage, as is the case with all laws that come from the Washington D.C. City Council. It failed to do so.

Councilman MichaelA. Brown was behind the bill. Accusations of unethical activity were aimed at Brown. After multiple hearings throughout the District of Columbia on the topic of regulated online gambling, the city council repealed the regulation in February 2012. Nevada would become the first state to launch regulated online poker in April 2013. Delaware was the first to go live with fully legal casino games in November 2013.

Washington D.C. Casinos & Gambling FAQ

Is gambling legal in Washington D.C.?

The Washington D.C. Lottery is the only form of legalized gambling in the District of Colombia.

There are no casinos in Washington D.C. This is due to the fact that it is illegal, as well as a lack of space to place a casino.

Legal

What games are offered by the Washington D.C. Lottery?

The D.C. Lottery sells instant games and lotto tickets at convenience stores throughout the city. Keno drawings are held in bars every four minutes from 6am to 2am daily. Some lottery retailers have kiosks with video scratch-off tickets.

How do charities operate gambling in Washington D.C.?

Charities must register through the lottery commission. They may operate bingo, raffles, casino nights and poker tournaments. Charities must be located in Washington D.C. and in operation for at least one year. The exception are raffles as Virginia and Maryland charities may sell tickets in the District of Colombia.

The minimum gambling age for Washington D.C. residents is 18.

Maryland Live! in Hanover, Maryland is the closest casino to Washington D.C.

No. The Washington D.C. City Council repealed a law that would have allowed online poker in 2012. Any site that accepts players from the city is illegal.

Are Washington D.C. online casinos and sports betting sites legal?

No. Any site that spreads that type of action over the Internet is unlicensed and illegal.

Are daily fantasy sports sites legal in Washington D.C.?

Sites like DraftKings and FanDuel assert they are legal as the activity is a skill game. Washington D.C. has not acted on this opinion. The games remain available to the city’s residents.