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Washington, DC is on a fast track to legalized sports betting, so says D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, a Democrat who represents Ward 2.
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He claims to be “very confident” in regard to the seven votes needed to advance the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act.
Six council members, including Evans, introduced the bill in September; and Evans told WTOP that council chairman Phil Mendelson would be supportive, making it seven.
Under the bill, sports wagering establishments with a valid license would pay D.C. 10 percent of the gross revenue generated by the activity, though with the caveat that these numbers could change.
He said that sports wagering is a market that could work for D.C. because it has venues and major sports facilities, and a lot of other hotels and restaurants that have shown interest.
If Evans and other members of the D.C. Council have their way, sports wagering could be as simple as opening an app or walking into a District hotel, bar or sports venue.
“It’s available. To say if we don’t have it in the District, then District residents are protected (from excessive gambling), and they won’t have the opportunity to gamble is silliness,” Evans said, adding that D.C. residents can go to the casino at MGM National Harbor in nearby Prince George’s County.
“Gambling is here. The argument that people who might gamble too much may be hurt is no longer valid because the opportunity to gamble is here,” Evans said.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to abolish decades long prohibition of sports betting back in May, thus opening the floodgates nationwide. Individual states have grappled with how to offer the activity without violating their own laws. Thus far, only New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia and Delaware have amended state law to allow sports wagering establishments and state-confined betting apps.
The industry as it stands now resembles something out of the Wild West. While New Jersey offers gambling via apps from one's own living room, Mississippi does not permit online gambling beyond designated casinos. Both Mississippi and West Virginia permit betting on College teams, New Jersey does not. Taxes range from 10% in West Virginia to just shy of 13% in New Jersey. Pennsylvania is set to legalize sports betting as well, with its imposed taxes likely to be among the steepest in the nation.
Washington, DC offering gambling on sports in bars and hotels would prove to be the most haphazard step thus far. Restaurant chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, which have already expressed interest in capitalizing on the sector, are sure to take notice.
A public hearing on the DC bill will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 17.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
