Since April 2024, FanDuel has been the only legal sportsbook for residents of Washington D.C. FanDuel replaced the former DC sports betting monopoly provider, Intralot. According to a recent court order, they could be under investigation by the District’s attorney general. Intralot is currently a petitioner in a case at the DC Superior Court. All the documents in the case are sealed and all filings happened on July 22 or August 1. Sources close to the case noted that this is related to a request from DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb. Additionally, the information in this case is related to how Intralot handled its business with D.C. Lottery. Specifically D.C. sports betting when Intralot was still controlling the market.
There are reports from the Washington City Paper (WCP) that Biran Schwalb is possibly looking into “false claim” violations. They commonly happen with “contractors and grantees” who seek the District to pay for work that is not fully performed. Back in 2019, Intralot received a no-bid contract to run sports betting in the nation’s capital. They’ve been under scrutiny by the DC Council ever since. In 2020, Intralot contracted GameBet DC to be the official odds provider and DC lawmakers were unimpressed with its performance. Finally, GameBet DC was down for the Super Bowl in 2022. One of the biggest sports betting days in the US every year. That’s why a reputable sportsbook like FanDuel was brought in to replace the inefficient market that GameBet DC was offering.
GameBet DC struggled in the DC sports betting market
GameBet DC monopolized the sports betting market in Washington D.C. for a few years. However, they continued offering juiced odds and were unpopular among lawmakers in the nation’s capital. Eventually, Intralot parted ways with GameBet DC and subcontracted FanDuel as the new odds provider. The DC Office of Lottery and Gaming worked hard to get GameBet DC out of the market and replace it with a reputable oddsmaker. FanDuel was an easy choice. Now that FanDuel has taken over in D.C., there is potential for other major sportsbooks to join.
In June 2024, the D.C. Council passed a new budget to allow up to seven commercial operators to have a partnership with a professional sports organization. Before the budget was passed, operators like Caesars and BetMGM could only operate within two blocks of their sports team partners. Recently, three other sportsbooks have made their way to the sports betting market in the nation’s capital. They include BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings. Additionally, Fanatics Sportsbooks also plans to launch in D.C.
