D.C. Council Member Elissa Silverman is tired of Washington’s current sports betting system. Silverman, frustrated with the lack of success from GambetDC, has proposed a bill that would allow third-party mobile sportsbook operators to operate in the District.'Council members Brooke Pinto, Mary Cheh, and Charles Allen co-introduced the bill.
BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel have retail sportsbooks in Washington, D.C., and BetMGM and Caesars can offer mobile wagering within a two-block zone around major sporting venues at which they have sportsbooks. But GambetDC is the only mobile sports betting platform that offers District-wide access, though it is not allowed within sports facilities and their exclusion zones or on federal land.
The lottery-run platform is powered by Intralot, which received a controversial sole-source contract in 2019 to run D.C.'s sports betting operation. The contract also gave Intralot the authority to manage the District’s online lottery program.
GambetDC has experienced numerous issues over the years, including poor odds, a bad interface, financial shortcomings, and technical glitches. GambetDC's iOS app notably went out during the 2022 Super Bowl.'