Bill in DC Seeks to Make the Betting Industry More Competitive

In 2019, the District of Columbia (D.C.) selected the Greek company, Intralot, to develop and operate mobile betting in the city. As a result, GambetDC, a mobile betting application was launched for residents in the state in 2020, offering legal wagering on sports. Over the years, complaints against GambetDC kept mounting with reported technical glitches and overall underperformance.

Initial estimates for the proceeds from sports betting were north of $80 million. Yet, during a January hearing, lawmakers and stakeholders heard that GambetDC has only brought in approximately $4.3 million for the last four years, a number that is astronomically lower when compared to the initial expectations.

At the same hearing held in January, Frank Suarez, the executive director of the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG), confirmed that there are different options ahead for GambetDC. One of the options involves the Lottery extending the partnership with Intralot, at least temporarily. This extension would enable Intralot to select another subcontractor that would replace GambetDC. Earlier this month, the Lottery confirmed that it approved Intralot’s request to select FanDuel as the next subcontractor for the city’s betting app.

However, a new proposal seeks to overhaul the betting sector in the city, making it more competitive while at the same time providing new options for bettors and generating more revenue. The proposal was put forward by Kenyan R. McDuffie, a D.C. Council member, who introduced the Sports Wagering Amendment Act of 2024, the Washington Post reports. The lawmaker acknowledged that granting FanDuel the option to take over betting activities from GambetDC is only a temporary fix. This is because, McDuffie said, bettors in the city still won’t have the option to select different platforms, something that is already available in many states.

The Proposal Calls to Extend the Available Options for Betting

According to McDuffie, fixing a system that is broken is way more challenging compared to introducing an entirely new measure and this is precisely the case for sports betting in the city. “But the general idea we need more competition in our city sports wagering program is something I support, and I think others will support as well. And it’s what our consumers have been demanding,” he said.

Under McDuffie’s proposal, the market in D.C. will become more competitive. The bill would enable current Class A retail betting license holders at Audi Field, Capital One Arena, and Nationals Park to offer mobile betting apps available citywide. Additionally, D.C.-based sports teams will have the option to team up with sports betting operators.

Besides making the market more competitive and attractive, the bill proposes to invest $1 million annually in youth extracurricular activities. Separately, some $300,000 would be dedicated toward treating and combating problem gambling.