DraftKings is gearing up to enter America’s newest open sports betting market.
After the fantasy sports and sports betting giant announced on Tuesday plans to launch its online sportsbook in Washington, D.C. in partnership with MLS franchise D.C. United, the app is officially live as of Thursday night. DraftKings now has market access to 29 jurisdictions in North America.
“It has been incredible to see legalized sports betting grow rapidly over the past six years, and with plans to launch our online sportsbook in D.C., DraftKings looks forward to expanding its presence in more than half the country,” said DraftKings North America President Matt Kalish. “We would like to thank the D.C. Council for creating a path to bring DraftKings’ top-rated sportsbook to the nation’s capital.”
DraftKings entered D.C.’s gaming market after lawmakers in the jurisdiction voted to support the inclusion of the Sports Wagering Amendment Act of 2024 in the city’s latest budget. The measure creates an open sports betting market in D.C., which saw FanDuel serve as its exclusive sports betting provider as a subcontractor of Intralot. Prior to FanDuel’s launch in D.C., GambetDC was the city’s sole online sports betting operator.
FanDuel replaced GambetDC in D.C. due to complaints about GambetDC’s performance.
DraftKings is ensuring players have access to a user-friendly sports betting experience in D.C. with its variety of markets and offerings while also providing access to responsible gaming tools that include deposit limits and a new wagering statistics tracker.
Competition for DraftKings
Last week, Caesars and BetMGM were approved by the Office of Lottery and Gaming to launch in D.C. after a delay despite Mayor Muriel Bowser not signing the city’s latest budget. BetMGM and Caesars had previously solidified a retail presence in D.C. with BetMGM having a brick-and-mortar sportsbook at National’s Park while Caesars hosts a sportsbook at Capital One Arena. Before D.C. became an open market, BetMGM and Caesars were only authorized to accept wagers within a two-block radius of the facilities.
