The Office of Lottery & Gaming (DC Lottery) launched sports wagering in late May. The lottery postponed the spring launch due to the COVID-19 virus.
“GambetDC is Washington, DC’s world class sports betting platform powered by the DC Lottery and it will be live by the end of May,” said Beth Bresnahan, Executive Director, DC Lottery. “While we recognize there will be a limited number of events to wager on, this ‘soft launch’ will provide us with an opportunity to roll out the GambetDC website to potential players in the District in preparation for the return of sports.”
“There will be limited paid advertising to promote GambetDC’s availability during this introductory phase; however, the website will be available to the general public with this release,” explained Nicole Jordan, Director of Marketing, DC Lottery. “The native iOS and Android apps will be unveiled in early June. A full-scale advertising and marketing campaign promoting GambetDC will launch as soon as there is a more robust schedule of major sporting events.”
Wagers can only be placed while in the District of Columbia. The DC Lottery’s app and website platforms have a geo-fencing feature that requires GambetDC players to be within Washington, DC and not within restricted play areas of the District. For example, the National Mall is a federal enclave area.
When sports events become available again, GambetDC will allow users to bet on a variety of professional and college sporting events including basketball, baseball, football, soccer, hockey, tennis, auto racing, boxing, cricket and darts. Players will be able to wager via their mobile phone or computer. Single-game bets, teaser bets, parlays, over-under, money line pools, exchange wagering, in-game betting, in-play bets, proposition bets and straight bets on sporting events are permitted.
The final rules implementing provisions of the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018, effective May 3, 2019 (D.C. Law 22-312; 66 DCR 1402 (February 1, 2019), were adopted on March 13, 2020.
Profits from DC Lottery’s GambetDC are earmarked for the city’s General Fund, which supports public programs, services and initiatives. “The DC Lottery is excited to launch GambetDC which will modernize our product portfolio and assist in our mission to maximize the revenue returned to support the District’s vital programs and services,” said Bresnahan.
