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FanDuel Sportsbook at Audi Field is live in Washington, DC, almost a year after the company applied for a license.
Unfortunately for those wishing to place bets through their phone, mobile betting and FanDuel Casinos are not in the mix.
A company spokesperson recently told LSR that there is “no timetable” for if and when mobile betting will launch.
FanDuel is sticking with retail betting only in DC
DC sports betting operates in one of two ways.
The first allows operators to launch a mobile app throughout most of DC but comes with a 20% tax rate. The second permits mobile sportsbooks within a two-block radius of the team’s partner, in this case, Audi Field. This second scenario also comes with a 10% tax rate.
FanDuel’s choice to go with scenario number two is understandable given the complexities of DC sports betting. As it stands, there are only three mobile betting options in the Nation’s Capital.
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- GambetDC
GambetDC still falling behind for DC sports betting
The mobile app operated by the DC Lottery, GambetDC, has been up and running for over two years. Regardless, the head start has not produced the dividends the district was expecting.
In May, GambetDC generated a little over $5 million in sports betting handle with $724,452 in revenue. By comparison, BetMGM, Caesars, and Elys restaurant sportsbook posted a combined $12.2 million in handle and $1.3 million in revenue.
On top of low numbers, the DC app has been plagued by malfunctions like the infamous Super Bowl outage and hasn’t garnered a bettor-friendly reputation.
At the time, DC Lottery Director Frank Suarez said the blunder caused “repetitional damage.”
In 2018, former DC CFO Jeff DeWitt estimated DC sports betting, with Intralot at the helm, would net $27 million by 2021.
FanDuel’s retail choice may have other benefits
BetMGM has a partnership with Nationals Park, home of MLB’s Washington Nationals. The ballpark is a short five-minute walk from Audi Field, meaning those wishing to place mobile sports bets only have to get into the two-block radius.
If customers are heading to a DC United game, BetMGM can score some business before fans walk into Audi Field.
