In May, DC’s Ward 2 council member Jack Evans introduced a bill that would legalize sports gambling in DC after the Supreme Court struck down a law that banned the practice outside of Nevada.
On Tuesday, Evans’ bill passed by a vote of 11-2. DC joins Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, West Virginia, New Mexico and parts of North Dakota as supporters of sports gambling.
D.C. has legalized sports betting, first in the Washington region to do so. Council voted 11-2.
— Fenit Nirappil (@FenitN) December 18, 2018
The bill would tax sports betting operators 10 percent of their gross revenue every month, and the city will also charge $50,000 for a gambling operator license that would last five years.
According to the Washington Post, fans can place a wager three ways since there are no casinos in Washington. The first is at sports arenas such as Capital One Arena and Nationals Park. The second is at private establishments such as restaurants and liquor stores. Finally, on a mobile application operated by the DC Lottery.
Caps owner Ted Leonsis thinks that sports gambling will transform sports.
“I believe the gamification of all sporting events is a very very positive development, especially for the fans,” he told the Washington Post in a video on the future of sports betting and gamification.
“You’ll see sports teams now becoming more and more, and leagues, becoming more and more like technology big data companies,” Leonsis said.
Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk
