Elys Game Tech. Obtains First US Sports Wagering License in DC

Elys Game Technology Corp. is making a splash in the US sports betting market, with the company obtaining its first sports wagering license to launch its Gameboard US platform in collaboration with the Grand Central Restaurant & Bar in Washington, DC. The tie-up crowns Ely’s ongoing efforts to break ground in the US following the acquisition of Bookmakers Company US for $53.8 million in July. 

The partnership is an alliance with Grand Central LLC, which operates the Grand Central Restaurant & Bar based in the Adams Morgan area. Grand Central LLC has been approved for a launch by DC’s Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) and has received a Class B Operator license to launch its sportsbook on the premises of the venue. 

Elys has similarly obtained a provisional Class B Standard Management Services Provide License so it can carry out the operations mandated by the license on the premises of Grand Central. Elys is bringing a number of turn-key retail betting solutions for both POS and kiosk hardware and will similarly work on business intelligence, odds, back office, risk management, trading services, and more.

Grand Central and Elys will also collaborate on a range of consumer-focused marketing campaigns to raise awareness for their product and bring more sports bettors out to the venue during the college football and NFL seasons. The alliance is also likely to push GambetDC’s market share down even further than it already is.

Comprehensive Sports Betting and Catering Experience

Grand Central will focus on providing consumers with a well-rounded product that will include food & beverage as well as numerous sports betting markets, odds, and fixtures. The Class B license means that Elys and Grand Central may accept a range of bets with no set limit on how much you can wager. All winnings are collected on-site and paid for by the venue. 

In an official press statement, Elys executive chairman Michele Ciavarella welcomed the opportunity to be launching the company’s first sports betting operation in the United States. She asserts, “We are absolutely thrilled to be granted our first US-based sports wagering license and are looking forward to launching our Elys Gameboard U.S. platform at Grand Central Restaurant & Bar, in Washington, DC.”

Ciavarella commended some of the distinct features that Elys brings to the table, including low-cost deployment paired with high scalability and cutting-edge sports betting services. Elys is interested in empowering small businesses in the United States and Canada and turning venues into powerful sports betting hubs. 

The forthcoming sportsbook at Grand Central Restaurant & Bar will be arriving in October this year, and a mobile app will be arriving in 2022. “We are very honored to have been approved as the first Class B licensed operator by the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming and believe that our establishment will serve as a showcase example for this operational model and a key role in the economic growth of this rooted residential and commercial neighborhood, as well as the greater DC area,” added Grand Central owner Brian Vasile. 

Elys has some 1,200 venues in Italy, where the company serves as an operator for sports betting services both online and retail. While this is the first sports wagering license for Elys and its Gameboard platform, the company is already present in five states with six tribal casinos and a restaurant bar, the official press release stated.