D.C. Lottery to release sports betting platform by the end of this month

Those 18 and over are permitted to place bets on the GambetDC platform within city limits, except for federal enclaves or within two blocks of Audi Field, Capital One Arena, Nationals Park, and Entertainment and Sports Arena.

2020-05-27

United States

Reading time 2:03 min

D.C. regulators had said in January that the app would be ready in March —in time for the start of the MLB season— but after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they decided to revise its launch strategy. "While we recognize there will be a limited number of events to wager on, this ‘soft launch’ will provide us with an opportunity to roll out the platform to potential players in the District in preparation for the return of sports," regulators said in a recent statement.

The lottery run by the Government of the District of Columbia has announced that GambetDC, its sports wagering platform, will launch by the end of May, and that gamblers will be able to place bets in early June.

In January, D.C. gambling regulators said the app would be ready in March, in time for the start of the Major League Baseball season, the Washington Post reports. After the novel coronavirus pandemic hit, the D.C. Lottery said the platform was “tested and ready to go live” but decided to revise its launch strategy with sports on hold.

"While we recognize there will be a limited number of events to wager on, this ‘soft launch’ will provide us with an opportunity to roll out the GambetDC website to potential players in the District in preparation for the return of sports," the D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming, which is overseeing sports betting, said in a statement.

While most sports remain paused to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the Bundesliga (Germany’s top soccer league), NASCAR, and the UFC have returned, and all three sports are among those approved for betting in the District. The PGA Tour is scheduled to resume in the second week of June without fans, while the NBA, NHL and MLB continue to discuss options for returning to play. Horse racing wagers will not be offered through the platform.

"The [GambetDC] website will be available to the general public with this release," the D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming’s statement said. “The native iOS and Android apps will be unveiled in early June. A full-scale advertising and marketing campaign promoting GambetDC will launch as soon as there is a more robust schedule of major sporting events.”

The D.C. Lottery had hoped to launch its betting platform last September for the start of the NFL season, but with the city facing a lawsuit over the no-bid contract it awarded to Greek gaming giant Intralot to oversee mobile betting, a judge temporarily blocked the city from moving forward.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics, has announced plans to lease space to British bookmaker William Hill for a sportsbook at Capital One Arena. D.C. United engaged in talks with Caesars Entertainment last year about opening a sportsbook at Audi Field.