Earlier this week, representatives from BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming gave testimony before the D.C. City Council’s Committee on Commerce and Economic Development..
“Consumers are either traveling to the surrounding states to wager or, worse yet, placing wagers in the illegal offshore market, where there are no responsible游戏协议to protect customers,” said Brandt Iden of Fanatics at the city council meeting.
He claimed that consumers either choose to place their bets in neighboring states or offshore. Even worse, there is no responsible gambling protocols to protect our consumers.
DC Welcomes Mobile Sports Betting
Hurdles on the Road to Launching Washington, DC’s Sports Betting Market
While FanDuel is now the lone mobile sports betting offering in Washington, the unit of Flutter Entertainment attained that status because Intralot — the Greek company behind GamBetDC — outsourced its responsibilities to FanDuel.
Intralot’s contract with Washington, D.C., runs through mid-2025,however, there are unknowns what it would take to void that contract and expanding the Washington,DC sports betting market. And some bars and restaurants and small retailers in this district are concerned about the impact on their revenue if online betting proliferates.
Barbara Lang, former CEO and president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, told the council that sports betting parlors are an important tool for some small businesses to attract and retain customers.
“A competitive, mobile-dominated system would completely squeeze out retailers looking to generate revenue from in-person gaming,” she told the committee.
Operators Looking to Expand DC Footprints
All the gaming companies mentioned here provide 手机体育博彩services in Maryland and Virginia. Within the initial two weeks of FanDuel’s launch in the District, bettors placed $14 million in wagers through the app. BetMGM and Caesars also operate retail sportsbooks at stadiums in the District. However, like their competitors, they aspire to attain what FanDuel has achieved: access to mobile betting.
“I think the District of Columbia, the nation’s capital, should be in a better situation today, on May 6, than we are,” the councilman said at the meeting. “We should not have to make a decision under duress about generating revenue with a company that has failed miserably at managing our sports wagering operation. I think there’s a case to be made that they shouldn’t be a part of it.”
