After making a bet on an obscure sports betting app, DC partners with a well-known industry leader to run its betting operation.
DC players will have access to FanDuel to place their bets as the company that holds the contract in DC moves away from the subcontractor that operated the underperforming GambetDC, according to the Office of Lottery and Gaming.
The Office of Lottery and Gaming expects FanDuel's revenue to be one and a half to two times higher.
“I think the mistake that was made is that instead of using multiple apps and opening up the entire district for betting, we went down the route of having a single app run by the DC Lottery,” the former said DC Councilman Jack Evans. “The chief financial officer at the time and the head of the lottery at the time felt strongly that we should take this approach.”
According to the Washington Business Journal, just $69.6 million was wagered at GambetDC in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, compared to $116.2 million at the city's five sportsbooks at Nationals Park and elsewhere.
Evans, an early advocate of sports betting in the District, also believes the move to FanDuel will bring in more revenue.
“Specifically, the guarantees that FanDuel is making up front already exceed what we are currently receiving, and next up is the renewal of Intralot’s entire lottery contract,” Evans said.
That was a no-bid contract, Evans said, but Mayor Muriel Bowser said the contract would be put out to bid this time.
Last month, the American Gaming Association reported that sports betting revenue in D.C. fell 17% in 2023, likely due to the troubled sports betting app.
Brian Vasile, owner of Grand Central Restaurant, Bar and Sportsbook in Adams Morgan, sees the move to FanDuel as a good thing.
“I think it's the right decision for DC and actually for the DC gamer. You know, what’s good for the goose is also good for the viewer,” he said. “I think it brings more people into the room who may have heard some negative things about Gambet.”
If FanDuel takes over, which is uncertain at this point, it will also take over the betting kiosks at restaurants and bars around the city.
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