According to the Office of Lottery and Gaming, DC sports betting officially delayed its launch until US sports return. The Lottery’s platform from Intralot was due to launch by March 31 up until two weeks ago, but was delayed because of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic and when sports will resume.
“We are revising our sports wagering launch strategy based on the current state of world events, but will be posting information about the platform in the coming days, including introducing the brand and its functionalities,” said Nicole Jordan, Director of Marketing and Communications. “The Lottery and Intralot are prepared to launch the platform when it is safe for the sports world to return.”
The app and web platforms, both tested and approved, were due to go live April 1, provided there were enough sports available to make it viable, but reality proved that wasn’t the case.
Intralot won the no-bid contract to supply mobile DC sports betting via the lottery, a deal that was highly scrutinized. Yet due to overwhelming demand, it was poised to be a success as the District has authorized bars, restaurants and sports venues to launch sportsbooks, although offerings will be geofenced and not as widely available as Intralot’s lottery app.
William Hill is the only other operator that has applied so far, which has joined with Capital One Arena to operate its sportsbook. William Hill plans to be licensed by the end of April or early May, based on the 30- to 45-day timeline for approval of qualified applicants that are already licensed in a District-approved jurisdiction.
