There may be few sports to wager on, but the District of Columbia will still kick off sports betting before March blows out of here. The city’s Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) said the app is currently in the user acceptance testing phase to ensure functionality and compliance with DC and federal laws.
“We are revising our launch strategy now based on the current state of world events/no games happening, but we will be ready to fully debut our sportsbook when it is safe for the sports world to return to the court, field, etc.,” Nicole Jordan, director of marketing and communications for the OLG told Legal Sports Report.
Intralot, the provider for D.C., went live with its first U.S. operation in Montana last week. The majority of odds offered by the Montana Lottery’s Sports Bet Montana were worse for both sides compared to other U.S. sportsbooks.
Intralot was the only possible supplier in Montana because sports betting was defined as a lottery game. While the lottery oversees sports betting in Washington, other options exist.
The District is also allowing bars and restaurants as well as sports venues to apply to provide sportsbooks but only within the confines of their business.
For example, William Hill is partnering with Monumental Sports for a sportsbook in Capital One Arena. William Hill is currently the only other operator that has applied.
