D.C. could soon become the first US jurisdiction without casinos to offer legal sports betting services
The District of Columbia voted on Tuesday to authorize the provision of in-person and mobile sports betting within city limits, thus making the nation’s capital the latest US jurisdiction to legalize the practice following the lifting of the long-standing PASPA ban.
The D.C. Council approved overwhelmingly a bill sponsored by Councilman Jack Evans by an 11-2 vote. The vote took place after the final of two hearings on the proposed legislation. The first such hearing took place earlier this month and saw the D.C. Council vote 9-2 in favor of the sports betting bill.
The piece of legislation is now headed to the desk of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. The bill needs Mayor Bowser’s signature to take effect as a law. It will also have to be reviewed by the Congress before being enforced.
Mayor Bowser has previously said that she supported the effort as sports betting could be “a viable revenue source for [the city’s] growing needs.”
As for the Congress, Democrats are set to take over the House, come January, and a legislation from a Democratic-led city is not likely to stumble upon any significant setbacks on its way to become a law, experts believe.
Where in D.C. Will One Be Able to Place a Bet?
In-person sports betting is conducted at sportsbooks at casinos in all of the states where the practice is currently legal. However, D.C. does not have casinos. Under the sports betting bill, gamblers will be able to place their bets at the city’s stadiums and arenas as well as at restaurants, liquor stores and other private businesses, instead. In addition, mobile betting will be available within city limits.
The D.C. Lottery will oversee the provision of sports betting services. It will sell licenses for the operation of sportsbooks at the city’s arenas and stadiums that will be worth $250,000 and will be valid for five years. Two-year licenses for retailers would come at a price of $5,000. The bill does not place a cap on the number of the licenses that could be issued.
Licensees will be taxed at 10% on their sports betting revenue. According to early projections, the city will collect more than $90 million from legal sports betting over a four-year period. However, critics have pointed out that figure is a bit too ambitious, particularly given the fact that neighboring Maryland with its five casinos, including the MGM National Harbor integrated resort located not far from D.C., is gearing up to legalize sports betting.
The casino industry reacted somewhat positively to the Tuesday vote in D.C., but warned that giving the local lottery a monopoly over sports betting, particularly mobile betting, would have a negative impact on competition and would come to the detriment of bettors.
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