The possibility of a terrestrial sportsbook opening up for business in a sporting venue appears to have moved a step closer following comments made by Ted Leonsis of Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) at this week’s American Gaming Association Sports Betting Executive Summit.
Leonsis, owner of the Washington Wizards basketball team and Washington Capitals hockey outfit, told reporters at the summit that he intends launching a sportsbook at the 20,000-seat Capital One Arena, home to both teams.
Quoted in SportsPro, he said: “There will be a sportsbook inside the building accessible from the outside and depending on the league and depending on the event, it might be accessible from the inside as well.”
MSE has recently purchased The Green Turtle sports bar out of its lease, generating rumors of repurposing for a retail outlet.
According to Leonsis, plans for the sportsbook would involve an outside operator as part of a relationship described by SportsPro as “…innovative and worthwhile”. He said: “We need to find a partner that says yes, that’s what we want to do too and not just want to do the cookie cutter and do what has always been done.”
