Washington DC’s two operators handle $17m in September

Sports betting gross gaming revenue more than doubles from August.

The return of football in September brought a boon to legal sportsbooks all over the United States, and Washington DC was no exception.

The District of Columbia Government’s Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) this week posted the monthly numbers for its two sports betting operators, William Hill/Caesars and BetMGM. Caesars reported $16.1 million in handle last month, with BetMGM adding $836,600.

The total handle of slightly more than $17m is the best month of the 12 reports available on the OLG’s website.

BetMGM only has been taking wagers at its location at Nationals Park since June. Its handle has risen each month, from the initial $376,600 in June to $643,400 in July, and then $746,000 in August. The operator’s year-to-date handle through September is $2.6m.

Caesars, which operates at Capital One Arena, posted its best month of the year in September. The previous high monthly handle was $15.7m in June.

Through the end of last month, Caesars has had $103.8m in handle in 2021. The operator reported a total handle of $61.8m for all of 2020.

With handle skyrocketing, gross gaming revenue from the two operators surged in September. Combined GGR in June was $1.67m, followed by $1.36m in July and $1.18m in August. Last month, total GGR was $3.28m, the OLG said.

Tax revenue paid to the District of Columbia based on September’s GGR amounted to $324,000 from Caesars and $4,693 from BetMGM. That compares to $112,000 and $5,793, respectively, in August.

With the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League seasons now underway, DC could set a new record for handle in October.

Michael Bartlett

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