The First Sportsbook in Washington D.C. Is Now Live

The first official sportsbook in Washington, District of Columbia is now open at the Capital One Arena. This milestone is not only significant for the state but also momentous for the USA sports betting industry as it’s the first time a sportsbook has been set up in a stadium or professional sports arena.

D.C’s pioneer sports betting platform was unveiled on Friday by American Wagering Inc, a subsidiary of London-based William Hill, globally recognized as one of the finest in the business. Of course, the sports betting facility was opened following all COVID-19 health and safety measures recommended by the CDC, in line with the District’s Phase 2 reopening regulations.

The sportsbook started with a ‘soft opening’ last Friday to give both patrons and staffers more time to grasp the nuances of live sports betting, but the grand opening was on Monday. The first ceremonial wagers were placed by holders of inaugural season tickets from the Washington Capitals, Mystics, and Wizards.

William Hill Seizes a Lucrative Opportunity on a Temporary Venue

While the sportsbook’s location is a first for the country, it will only be a temporary venue. William Hill decided to set up shop in the box office of Capital One Arena for the moment, before moving to a more permanent location as the bookmaker wanted to get the most out of the first weekend with many of the major sports back. As you may already know, all sporting events had taken a break from mid-March in fear of the raging novel virus but they have been slowly making a comeback since May.

Players at the Capital One Arena sportsbook will be placing wagers on both walk-up windows where employees can physically take bets and electronic betting kiosks where everything is automated. The deal that William Hill penned with Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the owner of Capital One Arena is under a temporary provisional license that is only valid until 31st January 2020.

A permanent facility for the William Hill powered sportsbook is still under construction and is expected to launch in fall at 601 F St, NW, where the Greene Turtle restaurant used to sit.  The sportsbook operator and Monumental Sports have planned for a huge multilevel sportsbook covering 6,500 square feet. The two partners in this venture were the first to forward a Class A license application to the Office of Lottery and Gaming in December 2019. – Class A licenses are reserved for betting platforms located in D. C’s four main sports arenas and is renewable after five years.

Other Players to Join DC’s Sports Betting Market

Two more companies received approvals for temporary licenses in D.C as their application continues to be reviewed by regulatory bodies.  NYX Digital Gaming, an affiliate brand of Scientific Games Corporation and Sportsradar Solutions LLC, which are both vendors of sports betting data, software, and general betting solutions have also received temporary supplier licenses that will be valid until January 2021 as well.

The only outlet that applied for a Class B license is Handle19 which plans to open its sportsbook on Capitol Hill. Per state law, a Class B license is given to operators whose venues will be sitting more than 2 blocks away from four of the largest arenas in the state.