FanDuel Set to Take Over Washington D.C. Sports Betting on April 15

After years of a substandard sports betting market, the nation’s capital is about to get a significant upgrade. 

Washington D.C.’s Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) announced this week that FanDuel would be taking over for GamebetDC, tentatively starting on April 15. D.C. bettors will be able to use GamebetDC through April 14. Any standard bets placed on events after that will be paid out, but any future bets will be refunded.

The announcement has been a major relief for bettors in D.C., who have only been able to wager using the maligned GamebetDC. The platform has been plagued by bugs and issues that have sent some bettors to neighboring states to place bets. That has led to disappointing tax revenue numbers, a problem most states don’t have.

FanDuel is currently the most popular online sportsbook in the US, joining DraftKings and dominating the market share across all states. However, some are concerned about the “tentative” date that has been set. Some expect the switch to FanDuel to be messy, with the date coming up quickly. While FanDuel is an industry leader, neither GamebetDC nor the OLG have shown much competency when setting up the market. 

The OLG should have another update later this week, hopefully making the tentative date of April 15 official. 

BetMGM and Caesars Could Join FanDuel

The market could expand even further in addition to the FanDuel launch date. A bill was proposed to add both of these platforms, giving bettors multiple options to wager. While FanDuel is a reliable option, the mess created by GamebetDC, the sole operator, has pushed multiple sportsbooks to allow it. 

While FanDuel will almost certainly dominate the market, they would be forced to keep odds and promos competitive if BetMGM and Caesars enter the state.