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DC attorney general said to be investigating Intralot contract

Intralot's Washington, DC lottery and sports betting contract is the subject of a new investigation from the District's attorney general's office, according to new reporting.

Axios cited anonymous sources today (18 November) in saying that attorney general Brian Schwalb’s office requested more information related to the contract last summer. It is unclear if the investigation centres around Intralot specifically or a subcontractor. Schwalb’s office does have the power to bring civil lawsuits against companies if applicable. But the exact motive of the investigation and timeline are unclear.

Greek-based Intralot has run the DC Lottery since 2009. In 2019 it was also awarded a controversial $215 million (£169.6 million/€203 million), no-bid contract to run online sports betting as well. The platform it rolled out, GambetDC, never lived up to expectations. The app performed extremely poorly, both in terms of usability and revenue projections.

In early March, DC’s Offi..

September 17, 2024

FanDuel dominated Washington, DC wagering in August

In the first full month of an open competitive market in Washington, DC, FanDuel was the clear choice for bettors, taking $21.7m in bets. Four operators were live online.
Washington, DC also has four in-person only sportsbooks and the eight combined to take $40.6m in bets, the highest in history according to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) report. The group had a combined $4.5m in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

In June, the DC Council voted to open the market, which during its first three years, only had one digital option available throughout the District and that for just 11 months. GambetDC, a white-label platform provided by lottery provider Intralot, was live.

But issue after issue arose and, in March, the OLG announced that Intralot was preparing to take the platform down and replace it with FanDuel. The wagering giant subcontracted with Intralot, but its run as a monopoly was short-lived. FanDuel went live in April, but on 15 July the market opened and the OLG declined t..

September 11, 2024

Caesars betting kiosks to replace GambetDC’s in US capital

When the DC Council in June approved a budget that included opening the Washington, DC sports betting market to competition, there was one question mark. What would happen to the small businesses – mostly convenience stores – that have GambetDC kiosks?
That question was answered on Tuesday (10 September) when Caesars Entertainment announced that it will replace GambetDC betting kiosks at 53 small businesses in the District. The company did not share when the new kiosks would be put into place.

On Monday (9 September) Caesars got the go-ahead to replace GambetDC through an Office of Lottery and Gaming executive order.

From May 2020-July 2024, DC had a single-source digital sports betting market. The DC Council in 2019 agreed to give Intralot, its lottery operator, the sports betting contract. There was no bid process and, when Intralot rolled out GambetDC, problems with the platform were almost instantly apparent.

Among the complaints were a difficult customer interface, non-comp..

August 19, 2024

DC councilmember Trayon White charged with bribery

On Monday (19 August) DC Councilmember Trayon White was charged with bribery after the FBI arrested him on Sunday (18 August). White is accused of taking $156,000 in “kickbacks and cash payment” according to a federal affidavit.
White was a member of the DC Council in 2019 when it agreed to leglalise single-source digital sports betting. DC Lottery partner Intralot got the wagering contract without a bid process. White was absent the day of that vote, but in June 2024 voted to pass a budget that opened the market.

Throughout the 2024 process, however, stakeholders were unsure how White, who was often absent from meetings, would vote. In the end, he lined up in favour and the budget unanimously passed.

According to a federal affidavit filed Friday and unsealed Monday, White took cash and other bribes to convince city government employees to extend contracts for vendors that would benefit at-risk youth. White, from Ward 8, an impoverished part of the District, has been a champion fo..

August 12, 2024

Report: DC attorney-general prepping investigation into Intralot’s mismanagement of wagering platform

According to the Washington City Paper, DC attorney-general Brian Schwalb has requested documents from lottery contractor Intralot. The request may mean the AG's office is looking into whether or not the company violated the city's “false claims” law.
What Schwalb’s office learns from the request will determine next steps, according to the City Paper report on Thursday (8 August). But if the AG’s office finds Intralot broke the law, it could fine the company.

It would also seem that likely that Schwalb’s office could create a compliance plan for Intralot or prohibit it from doing business with the city.

Intralot’s most recent lottery and sports betting contract expired on 15 July. The lottery did not renew the wagering contract. It did request and get approval from the DC Council for a one-year $39m contract extension for “lottery gaming systems and related services”. The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) initially asked the council for a two-year extension, that include..

August 9, 2024

FanDuel took $78.5m in handle during its three-month run as DC’s sole digital platform

FanDuel finished out its short-lived run as the sole city-wide digital sports betting provider with $23.2m in handle for June and nearly $10m for two weeks in July. The DC Lottery released the revenue reports for the operator this week.
FanDuel earlier this year took over digital sports betting for the lottery, which previously used the much-maligned GamBetDC app provided by contractor Intralot. More than four years after launching GamBetDC, the lottery announced in March that it had subcontracted with FanDuel to take over online wagering. FanDuel went live in April.

Between then and now, the DC Council approved a more competitive market and the lottery allowed Intralot’s sports betting contract to expire on 15 July. Because Intralot was no longer providing digital sports betting services to the lottery, FanDuel temporarily shuttered before relaunching through a partnership with Audi Field days later.

DC sports betting revenue is currently reported by two agencies. The DC Lottery ..

July 23, 2024

DraftKings announces plans for DC sports betting launch

The pool of sports betting operators in Washington, DC got a little bit bigger on Tuesday (23 July) when DraftKings announced intentions to launch its platform in the newly opened competitive market.
With the addition of DC, DraftKings will have launched in 29 North American jurisdictions.

“We would like to thank the DC Council for creating a path to bring DraftKings’ top-rated sportsbook to the nation’s capital,” DraftKings’ North American president, Matt Kalish, said in a statement.

“Together with DC United, we look forward to delivering fans a best-in-class experience through our customer-friendly product.”

DraftKings will join FanDuel, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook in offering mobile sports betting throughout the District. The latter two operators went live in the nation’s capital on 17 July.

They had expected to launch two days earlier. But there was a short delay related to the city’s FY2025 budget, which included the provisions needed to open the marketplace from a monop..

July 17, 2024

BetMGM, Caesars go live in Washington, DC after short delay

BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook went live across Washington, DC on Wednesday (17 July). Previously both operators could only offer their platforms in exclusion zones.

The launch is two days later than both operators planned. But they had to await the FY2025 budget being in force.

The budget includes provisions that open the market from a monopoly to a competitive landscape. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser did not sign or veto the budget. Her deadline to do so was 25 July. Instead, she sent it back to the DC Council. The move allows BetMGM and Caesars to begin offering their platforms throughout the city.

Bowser’s press secretary told Sports Handle that Bowser’s non-action “will still permit” the expansion. By sending it back, Bowser was demonstrating that she had “objections to several elements of the budget”. Given the contentious history of sports betting in DC, the expansion could be one of those objections.

Neverthelesss, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook announced on Wednesday that they had..

July 16, 2024

Online wagering in US capitol on hold until mayor signs budget; platforms were ready to go Monday

Two sports betting platforms were ready to begin offering their products throughout Washington, DC on Monday (15 July). But Mayor Muriel Bowser still hasn't signed the budget bill that would allow BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook to go live.

Bowser has until 25 July to sign the budget. If she does not sign or veto it by then, it will automatically go into effect.

BetMGM and Caesars sportsbooks indicated on Monday that they are waiting for the mayor’s signature, but are unsure when it will come. BetMGM cancelled a planned celebration at Nationals Park, a company representative said. As of Monday night, FanDuel, partnered with the DC Lottery, remained the only platform available to those betting in DC.

But according to the Washington Examiner, FanDuel’s platform was unavailable Tuesday (16 May). For now, Washington, DC sports bettors can only place bets in person. FanDuel said in a statement to the Washington Post that it would re-launch once the budget was approved.

On 25 June th..

June 25, 2024

DC Council creates open, competitive wagering marketplace

On Tuesday (25 June) the DC Council gave final approval to its FY2025 budget that includes a provision to open the digital sports betting market. Currently, FanDuel is the sole platform available citywide but, under the new budget, that will change.

The new budget required an emergency act to avoid having to send the budget to congress for approval. The DC Council passed the Budget Support Act via voice vote. The budget is set to go into effect on 15 July.

The new budget will allow for commercial operators to enter the market. BetMGM (Nationals Park) and Caesars Sportsbook (Capital One Arena) should quickly be able to expand their current digital offerings. Through existing partnerships, the operators have brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and offer digital betting within an exclusion zone. Under the new plan, they will be able to offer their platforms across the District.

FanDuel in April launched its platform in partnership with the DC Lottery. The company currently has a monopoly. ..

June 18, 2024

FanDuel: We’ll exit lottery contract if DC Council approves open marketplace

FanDuel would opt for a lower tax rate and walk away from its lottery contract in Washington, DC if the DC Council approves an open marketplace. President Christian Genetski wrote a letter earlier this month to DC Council chairman Phil Mendelson explaining his company's stance.

The DC Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) in March revealed that Intralot, the company that ran the GamBetDC platform, planned to take down the platform and subcontract with FanDuel. The news came as a surprise to the DC Council at that time. But bettors welcomed the change.

GamBetDC was fraught with usability errors and other issues from its May 2020 launch. In four years as the only mobile platform available throughout the city, GamBetDC underperformed. In that time, the District netted $4.3m in tax revenue from it.

OLG operators are taxed at 40%. In an open market, under the proposed amended law, operators would be taxed at 20%. FanDuel paid the city $1.9m in tax revenue in its first 30 days of ope..

June 12, 2024

DC sports betting: Open, competitive market coming? It sure looks like it

On Wednesday (12 June) the DC Council took the first step toward opening the city's sports betting market by approving a FY2025 budget that includes the Sports Wagering Amendment Act of 2024. The council unanimously approved the budget during a legislative meeting. There will be a second vote as early as next week.

The decision to open the market was not without controversy. An amendment that would have removed the new sports betting plan was defeated, 4-9, after heated discussion. Two key issues around DC sports betting were at play on Wednesday. Some council members said they were concerned about the “speed” at which the change has moved forward. Others said small businesses that currently benefit from having wagering kiosks could lose the opportunity.

In the current scenario, the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) has a monopoly on online wagering. As of April, FanDuel was the only operator that could offer digital betting throughout the District. BetMGM and Caesars Sportsb..

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Tag: Washington DC