Washington, D.C
Washington, DC Could Soon Have Open Sports Betting Market
Posted on: June 26, 2024, 03:27h.
Last updated on: June 26, 2024, 03:27h.
Washington, DC could soon allow multiple operators to conduct mobile sports wagering in the District after City Council member Kenyan McDuffie’s (I-At Large) amendment to broaden the market was included in the council’s proposed budget for fiscal 2025, which was passed Tuesday.
McDuffie introduced the Sports Wagering Amendment Act of 2024 in March. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) still has to approve the budget, but if she does, that could open the door to the city having more than one mobile sports betting option. Currently, FanDuel has a monopoly on mobile betting in the US capitol city.
The unit of Flutter Entertainment took over online sports betting in the city in April after the city council allowed Intralot to subcontract its responsibilities out to another company. Intralot previously ran the heavily criticized GambetDC app.
Last month, representatives from BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming testified before the Washington, DC City Council’s Committee Business and Economic Development Committee to advocate for a more competitive mobile sports betting landscape in the city.
Usual Suspects Likely to Eye DC Sports Betting Entry
Should Washington, DC’s sports wagering market be liberalized, forcing FanDuel to shed its brief monopoly, the typical names in the industry would likely seek entry.
Currently, BetMGM (Nationals Park) and Caesars Sportsbook (Capital One Arena) have retail sportsbooks at professional sports venues in the city. Those operators would almost certainly pursue licenses if the District opens to mobile wagering competition as would rivals DraftKings and Fanatics.
A decision on making the District’s sports betting market could boil down to simple economics. FanDuel paid a $5 million conversion fee to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) to take over the Intralot deal and is promising $2 million to $4 million in annual operating payments to the city. If several other gaming companies made similar financial commitments, mobile betting expansion could be a significant moneymaker for the city.
However, there are market share considerations for operators. While Washington, DC is an enticing market for sportsbook firms, there are no guarantees adequate threats to FanDuel will be mounted. In the first quarter in neighboring Virginia, FanDuell commanded market share of 40.14%, or more than DraftKings and BetMGM combined.
Resistance to Open DC Sports Betting Market
Obviously, FanDuel wouldn’t be thrilled about the idea of shedding its monopoly in DC, but there’s likely to be resistance to an open market from other corners — namely small businesses that have sports wagering kiosks.
Those FanDuel-operated machines are found in 63 locations across the city, including bars and lottery retailers, and have become important revenue streams for those establishments.
Retailers that have those kiosks fear that if more mobile wagering options are permitted in the District, bettors will be less inclined to use the kiosks. McDuffie believes that other gaming companies could provide comparable devices to businesses should the Washington market be liberalized.
The Commanders are set to build a new stadium in D.C., and the debate over how fans will get to and from games is happening right now. On Wednesday, city leaders will join Metro and the Washington Commanders to talk stadium transit.
TNND — A new report from the House Oversight Committee alleges former D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith pressured officers to manipulate crime data. The committee released the report on Sunday, less than a week after Smith announced she was stepping down.
You’re lulling people into this false sense of security. They might go places they wouldn’t ordinarily go. They might do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” said Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association.
Included in the report were transcribed interviews with the commanders of all seven D.C. patrol districts and the former commander currently on suspended leave. One was asked, “Over the last few years, has there been any internal pressure to simply bring down crime statistics?” Their response, “Yes, I mean extremethere’s always been pressure to keep crime down, but the focus on statistics… has come in with this current administration.”
Every single person who lives, works, or visits the District of Columbia deserves a safe city, yet it’s now clear the American people were deliberately kept in the dark about the true crime rates in our nation’s capital,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement.
“They are going to have to regain the public trust. Again, this is a huge integrity issue,” Brantner Smith said.
Among the reports findings, Smith’s alleged pressured campaign against staff led to inaccurate crime data. Smith punished or removed officers for reporting accurate crime numbers. Smith fostered a toxic culture and President Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. is working.
While Smith has not yet publicly responded to the report, she’s previously denied allegations of manipulating crime data, saying the investigation did not play a factor into her decision to step down at the end of the year.
My decision was not factored into anything with respect to, other than the fact that it’s time. I’ve had 28 years in law enforcement. I’ve had some time to think with my family,” Smith said earlier this month.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also released a statement Monday, writing in part that “the interim report betrays its bias from the outset, admitting that it was rushed to release.”
According to crime stats from the Metropolitan Police Department, since the federal law enforcement surge started in August, total violent crime is down 26%. Homicides are down 12% and carjackings 37%.
The first candle lit on the National Menorah near the White House in Washington, D.C., marked the first night of Hanukkah — and solemnly honored victims of the Bondi Beach shooting.
The National Menorah Lighting was held Sunday night, hours after gunmen opened fire on a crowd celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach. Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and a Holocaust survivor, and over three dozen others were being treated at hospitals.
Authorities in Australia said it was a terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.
Organizers behind the National Menorah Lighting said the news from Australia, along with the bitter cold, forced them to consider whether or not to hold the annual event.
After consulting with local law enforcement, National Menorah Lighting organizers decided to hold the event and honor the victims.
Several D.C.-area police departments issued statements confirming there are no known threats to local communities, but are monitoring just in case.
Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich condemned the attack and said community safety is a priority.
“Acts of antisemitism, especially those meant to intimidate families and communities during moments of gathering and celebration, must be called out clearly and condemned without hesitation,” Elrich said. “I have heard directly from members of Montgomery County’s Jewish community who are shaken and concerned, and I want them to know that their safety is a priority.”
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