Washington D.C.’s mobile sports betting app, GambetDC, recorded its largest sports betting handle ever in January. This is a positive sign for the gambling industry in Washington D.C., but all that glitters is not gold.
Washington D.C.’s retail sportsbook is still dominating GambetDC when it comes to the total betting handle in the district. Mobile apps typically dominate retail books throughout legal sports betting states, so Washington D.C. is one area where there is an exception to this trend.
The January Numbers
The total online and retail sports betting handle in Washington D.C. in January was $15.75 million. GambetDC had its best month ever, but the app still did not come close to competing with the William Hill retail sportsbook.
The William Hill Sportsbook is located in the Capital One Arena. It was the first sportsbook to launch inside a major American sports arena. William Hill recorded a handle of $10.57 million, which turned into $1.89 million in revenue.
William Hill also has a mobile app for people in Washington D.C., but people can only use it within two blocks of Capital One Arena. GambetDC has never come close to achieving the numbers that the William Hill Sportsbook attained in January.
GambetDC had a total handle of $5.18 million, which created a win of $910,000 for the sportsbook. GambetDC has been criticized for poor odds and its poor overall betting experience.
The Washington D.C. lottery’s app launched in October 2020. The lottery had high expectations for the book and expected to match up well with William Hill because of the gravitation towards mobile books throughout the United States.
Early technological issues made Washington D.C. residents flock towards the William Hill Sportsbook at Capital One Arena.
New Sportsbook in Washington D.C.?
Handle 19, a prospective sports betting operator, applied to open a sportsbook on Pennsylvania Avenue. The application was denied by the D.C. Office of Gaming and Lottery. The plan for the sportsbook was to be a sports bar and restaurant that offered betting.
Shane August, the owner of Handle 19, was the man behind the vision. The Office of Gaming and Lottery felt that the application had too many holes to be approved. They did grant Handle 19 the ability to repeal and fix their application to have another chance to submit the paperwork in the future.
However, this would require paying a new application fee. If Handle 19 takes this approach and gets approved, the book would most likely not open until the end of 2021.
The Future of Washington D.C. Sports Betting
On January 11, 2021, the Washington Nationals announced a deal with BetMGM for the platform to become its official sports betting partner. The BetMGM Sportsbook will be connected to the stadium.
Additionally, a mobile app will be allowed for usage on park property so fans will be able to bet from their seat in the ballpark. FanDuel will also be opening a retail sportsbook in D.C. at Audi Field. Audi Field is the home of D.C. United of the MLS.
