Following a difficult few years as the only districtwide mobile wagering operator in Washington D.C, GambetDC will be replaced in the next few months. The operator chosen to take their place is FanDuel, which will now assume the role as the official sportsbook of the capital. FanDuel will now be the only online sports betting site that locals can access anywhere across the city. There has been no definitive launch date set yet, although it is expected to be done well before the summer.
FanDuel Replaces GambetDC
This move came about as the Washington, D.C., Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) wanted to make a change. The organization oversees and regulates all sports betting activity in the nation’s capital. It has been far from plain sailing since GambetDC launched in 2020, with many users reporting that the app was difficult to use. The app has not met expectations in terms of revenue either, with the numbers falling well below expected levels for the district.
Kenyan McDuffie, who is a Councilmember, has previously stated that there were clearly issues around customer service and noted the worry about increasingly declining revenue. He claimed that the “current model is not working” and concerns have only grown since the launch.
Those concerns have been echoed by the regulatory authority. Last year, the D.C Lottery reported only $1.3 million in tax revenue generated by sports wagering. That figure is now expected to rise significantly to around $10 million as FanDuel takes over. The performance of GambetDC falls well short compared to other sportsbooks, which means D.C is trailing behind states such as Maryland and Virginia in sports betting despite the fact it launched before both of them.
Move was Expected
When you look at the comments made from Councilmember Duffie in January, it should come as no great surprise that a change has been made. As far back as 2022, Councilmember Elissa Silverman was adamant that GambetDC needed to be removed. She pushed a Bill to end GambetDC’s time as the sole operator for the district.
Although that bill was unsuccessful, it further enhanced the narrative that GambetDC was a not a suitable sportsbook for the people of D.C. Now, the operator has been removed and is entering the last throes of its time as the only sports betting option for residents. However, the good news for bettors in the local area is that the replacement should encounter no such problems once everything is in place.
FanDuel is one of the leading names in the US gambling industry. You have probably seen them advertized on T.V, whether that is bonus offers or their world famous DFS contests. In landing FanDuel, D.C is getting one of the premier sportsbooks anywhere in the world, a company whose reputation is stellar and one which has partnerships with several leading pro teams and leagues.
FanDuel can call the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA Tour, WBNA and WTA as official partners, while teams such as the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the MLB’s New York Yankees are also partners. This is all a far cry from GambetDC, who struggled to make any impact and from reports provided a substandard app and poor user experience.
FanDuel is as sure a thing as Patrick Mahomes lifting the Super Bowl in February. D.C bettors can now look ahead with excitement at being able to access one of the most successful online sportsbooks in the country.
