One side sees GambetDC as a loser. The other side sees it as a winner.
Based on 2021, the loser side won. The city lost $4 million, when initial projections said the District should be pulling in $90 million by now.
We’ve been here before— the long sports betting app in Washington has had poor performances for much of its two year existence. So much so that the D.C. City Council is leaning towards going in another direction.
“From the council’s perspective, this can’t continue,” said Kenyan McDuffie, chairman of the Business and Economic Development Committee at the District Council said at a meeting July 13.
Keeping exclusive control over mobile sports betting has proven problematic. Councilwoman Mary Che never wanted that kind of contract over mobile sports betting, which she called “problematic.”
Despite all that, Frank Saurez, who heads the Office of Lottery and Gaming sees a winner. GambetDC is heading in the right direction, while the private companies that operate in small pockets of the city are seeing declines.
“The ship is righting already,” Saurez said “GambetDC handle is up significantly this year. It’s over double what the private operators are providing in tax revenue. Everything points in the right direction and the model is working as it should now.”
GambetDC can establish kiosks around the city while also running the only mobile app that can be used around most of the District, which puts the arena and stadium sportsbooks at a big disadvantage.
Handle is up 31 percent year-to-date versus 2021 in the same time period. GambetDC paid $2.2 million in tax revenue to the District in this fiscal year.
Then again, 2022 had nowhere to go but up.
Saurez called a potential change of model to privately-operated mobile apps “riskier,” and said it would provide a lower share of sports wagering profits to the District, in addition to increasing regulatory costs.
The app has faced significant criticism since its launch, with customers complaining about its features from day one, such as a clunky interface, subpar odds and withdrawal challenges. In February, the GambetDC program saw its image further tarnished when the app went offline during the Super Bowl, the biggest day of the year for U.S. sports betting.
Meanwhile, the latest on-site sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook at Audi Field, opened for business.
Home of D.C. United, the Major League Soccer franchise, Audi joins Capital One Arena (Caesars), Nationals Park (BetMGM), and Grand Central (Elys Gaming).
FanDuel’s locale differs from the other on-premises operations because of its view of the actual playing field, according to Sports Handle.
“We’re pretty much right where the corner kicks go,” said George Mustica, FanDuel’s general manager at the location. “There were a number of corner kicks. … it’s pretty exciting to see the ball about to go in the net. Just being so close to the environment, it’s a really fun experience.”
Unlike the two-block radius of Capital One Arena and Nationals Park where users can place bets via betting apps, no mobile app is in place in and around Audi field. Bettors will have to rely on three betting windows or 18 kiosks.
On game days, bettors require specific tickers to access the sportsbook. The kiosks are closed on game days, but the betting windows remain open. When games aren’t being played, anyone can walk in during the sportsbook’s business hours from 10 a.m.-midnight.
If you’re looking for a large sportsbook to view a range of sporting events on several massive TVs, Capital One Arena is probably a better venue than Audi Field. FanDuel’s sportsbook occupies about 2,700 square feet, while the Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena has 18,000 square feet to roam around in. Caesars is even expanding in coming months, and food enhancements are also expected. If you like intimacy with your sportsbook, stick to Nationals Park (4,000 square feet) and Audi Field.
