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DraftKings has announced that it will be expanding its mobile sports betting offerings to Washington, DC. Following FanDuel’s spring launch, DC sports bettors now have access to a second popular mobile betting alternative, albeit after a dismal start. “It has been incredible to see legalized sports betting grow rapidly over the past six years, and with plans to launch our online sportsbook in D.C., DraftKings looks forward to expanding its presence in more than half the country,” said Matt Kalish, President, DraftKings North America. “We would like to thank the D.C. Council for creating a path to bring DraftKings’ top-rated sportsbook to the nation’s capital.”
The new sports betting option for sports fans in the District was announced on the same day that the Washington Commanders opened training camp. DraftKings declared that, subject to regulatory clearance and license, it would open an online sportsbook in Washington, D.C. After agreeing to be the sports betting supplier at Audi Field for D.C. United, the online sports betting titan DraftKings entered the D.C. market, opening the door for the digital sports entertainment and gambling company to operate in the District. When it launches in Washington, D.C. it will operate as the 29th jurisdiction in North America for DraftKings Sportsbook.
“With the D.C. Council’s recent decision to expand the world of sports betting in D.C., we look forward to working with DraftKings to introduce their online sportsbook as another way for D.C. residents to bet in the city,” said Danita Johnson, President of Business Operations for D.C. United.
With the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) entering into a deal with an international vendor to develop the GambetDC app, sports betting in the city got off to a bad start. Since its inception, it has been beset by issues, such as a faulty system that occasionally malfunctioned and odds that were lower than those provided by physical sportsbooks at Capital One Arena and Nationals Park.
As a result, there was a general lack of usage of the GamebetDC app. When the DC Council authorized sports betting in 2019, GambetDC was expected to generate $20 million in revenue annually. However, over that period, it only brought in slightly more than $4 million. In contrast, Capital One’s Caesars Sportsbook made more money in January 2024 alone, and just a very small percentage of those earnings are subject to taxes. A month in 2023 saw GambetDC actually lose money, which is almost unheard of in the sports betting industry.
The city declared in March that it was changing things up in an attempt to save its faltering sports betting app. OLG announced that it would collaborate with FanDuel, enabling the national sports wagering company to gradually take over D.C.’s sports betting business. At the time, FanDuel was D.C.’s only mobile betting option available citywide.
The addition of DraftKings will mean that DC gamblers will now have access to four sports betting options with DraftKings joining FanDuel, BetMGM and Caesars.Check out the latest sports betting odds at BetMGM.
