For a while there were hopes that legal sports betting would come to Washington DC before the start of football season on September 5th. However, the Office of Lottery and Gaming said this week that the launch could be delayed by several weeks and wouldn’t be in time for the football betting season.
The office said that it was “committed to establishing a solid regulatory framework that fosters public confidence and trust in the integrity of wagering operations in DC.”
As such, the OLG will start accepting applications for sports betting licenses in September only. It could take between a month and a month-and-a-half to have a provisional license approved by the authorities. A permanent license could take up to half a year to be awarded.
The district joins multiple states who are seeking to have sports betting legalized and regulated, since the Supreme Court passed a landmark ruling to allow states to determine their own paths when it came to gambling on sports. Since the beginning of 2019, 8 states have passed laws to see sports betting become a reality.
In December last year, the DC City Council voted 11-2 in favor of the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act.
It will take a little longer than expected, but Washington DC should see legal land-based betting before the end of the year.
