States / District of Columbia / Sports betting
Is sports betting legal in District of Columbia?
Yes. In DC, online and in-person sports betting are legal (as of Oct 12, 2026). Online and in-person betting launched 2020. Operators pay 20% GGR in tax.
| Channel | Status | Launched | Model | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports (online) | Live | 2020 | Competitive | Launched 2020 as GambetDC, a DC Lottery monopoly mobile app run by Intralot; missed revenue targets badly (~$4.3M revenue vs. an $84M initial 4-year projection). OLG briefly made FanDuel the exclusive mobile subcontractor (GambetDC closed 2024-04-14, FanDuel app live 2024-04-15), then the Council's FY2025 Budget Support Act (D.C. Law 25-217, permanent; emergency predecessor effective 2024-07-15) opened the District to multiple citywide mobile operators and created a Class C license for operators partnering with DC sports teams. D.C. Code § 36-621.11; D.C. Code § 36-601.01 [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6] |
| Sports (retail) | Live | 2020 | Hybrid | Class A licenses (Capital One Arena, Audi Field, Nationals Park, St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena) permit on-site retail wagering plus a 2-block exclusionary zone; Class B covers other private retail venues with no exclusionary zone. Retail kiosks formerly run under GambetDC were taken over by Caesars in 2024 after GambetDC's shutdown. Wagering is barred on federal property within DC where federal law conflicts with it. D.C. Code § 36-621.01 et seq.; D.C. Code § 36-601.01 [7],[8],[9],[5],[10] |
Tax rate
| Rate | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20% GGR (total) | Aug 1, 2024 | Class A tier (venue-tethered operators, e.g. Caesars at Capital One Arena) — citywide mobile and retail.[11] |
| 10% GGR (total) | Aug 1, 2024 | Class B tier (other private operators/venues).[11] |
| 30% GGR (total) | Aug 1, 2024 | Class C tier (new license class for operators partnering with DC-based sports teams).[11] |
| 20% GGR (total) | Aug 1, 2024 | Class A tier.[11] |
Rules
- Minimum age to place a sports wager
- 18[12]?
- Wagering on college sports allowed at all
- Yes · "Sporting event" is defined to include "collegiate sporting or athletic event"; the exclusion for non-professional events applies only where a majority of participants are under 18.[13]
- Wagering on in-state college teams allowed
- Yes · Unlike some states, DC has no statutory carve-out barring wagers on local college teams (e.g. Georgetown, GW, American, Howard); the only participant-age exclusion in the "sporting event" definition applies regardless of the team's location.[13]
- Esports wagering allowed
- Yes[13]
- New online accounts must be created in person
- No · Operators must include an age-verification process "as a part of" online account registration, which may use a third-party identity-verification service; the law does not require an in-person visit to register.[14]
- Online sports wagering available statewide (not tethered to premises)
- Yes · Before the 2024 amendment, mobile wagering was tethered to GambetDC (statewide monopoly) or, for Class A/B retail licensees, limited to on-premises/2-block zones.[2]
- Operators must use official league data for some bets
- No · An operator's statutory duties cover wagering-integrity monitoring and exclusion lists but impose no requirement to use official league/governing-body data to settle any category of wager.[14]
Licensed sportsbooks
| Operator | Brand | Channel | Status | Launched |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM | BetMGM | Sports (online) | active | [15] |
| Caesars Entertainment | Caesars Sportsbook | Sports (online) | active | [15] |
| DraftKings | DraftKings | Sports (online) | active | [15] |
| Fanatics Betting and Gaming | Fanatics | Sports (online) | active | [15] |
| FanDuel | FanDuel | Sports (online) | active | [15] |
| Caesars Entertainment | Caesars Sportsbook | Sports (retail) | active | [16] |
| S&S U Street | Sports (retail) | active | [15] |
All gambling laws in District of Columbia → · Sports betting in every state →
Sources
- D.C. Code § 36-621.02. Regulations. · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- D.C. Code § 36-621.11. Mobile and on-line sports wagering. · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- DC Bets on FanDuel for Its Sports-Gambling App, Folds on GambetDC · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- GambetDC Officially Announces Plans to Shutter · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Caesars Sportsbook Kiosks Replace GambetDC Kiosks in Washington DC · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- DC Council votes to open up sports betting market · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Cited for the June 25, 2024 final Council vote and the 9-4 vote rejecting removal of the multi-operator language; confirmed via search result text, not a direct page fetch.
- D.C. Code § 36-621.01 (Sports Wagering, Subchapter II) — legislative history · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- D.C. Code § 36-621.05. Sports wagering licenses. · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- D.C. Code § 36-621.17. Conflict with federal law. · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Caesars Sportsbook To Take Over DC Sports Betting Kiosks · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
Direct fetch returned 403; cited only for text confirmed via search results (Caesars revenue share, FanDuel declining citywide mobile under old tether rules).
- Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 — tax rates · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Washington DC Sports Betting · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- D.C. Code § 36-601.01. Definitions. · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- D.C. Code § 36-621.07. Duties of an operator. · retrieved Oct 11, 2026
- DC Office of Lottery and Gaming - Sports Wagering Approved Licenses · retrieved Oct 10, 2026
- Caesars Sportsbook Kiosks Replace GambetDC Kiosks in Washington DC · retrieved Oct 10, 2026