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Washington D.C. sports betting market has officially expanded
D.C. sports betting has expanded, and bettors can now use BetMGM and Caesars in addition to FanDuel.
BetMGM and Caesars were supposed to go live with their sportsbooks in Washington D.C. on Monday following the signing of the 2025 fiscal budget by Mayor Muriel Bowser. The budget was ultimately not signed on Monday as intended, which caused even the lone sportsbook operator in D.C., FanDuel, to go dark for about a day.
BetMGM and Caesars go live two days after scheduled launch date
When Mayor Bowser did not immediately sign or veto the budget, BetMGM and Caesars were put on delay, and FanDuel had to briefly cease operations. On Wednesday, though, certain elements of the budget were updated, including the expansion of sports betting.
Until Wednesday, BetMGM and Caesars operated in D.C. only in a very limited capacity. BetMGM was able to offer online sports betting within a two-block radius of their retail sportsbook at Nationals Park, and Caesars had the same deal with their retail location at Capital One Arena. They can now both operate citywide. D.C. becomes the 19th state (or district in this case) to offer BetMGM and the 22nd for Caesars.
FanDuel loses its monopoly but gets a better tax rate
Since April 2024, FanDuel has been the only sportsbook in town for D.C. bettors. In a deal with the D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming, FanDuel took over GamebetDC, which was never able to find its footing as a successful sportsbook. This monopoly ended Wednesday when BetMGM and Caesars went live across the city with their sportsbooks, but there was one silver lining for FanDuel.
During its short-lived monopoly, FanDuel was taxed at a 40% rate. Only Delaware, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island tax sportsbooks at a higher rate than that. Included in D.C.’s sports betting expansion is a new tax rate of 20% for all sportsbooks offered in the district. That’s still a relatively high rate compared to most locales with legal online sports betting, but for FanDuel’s rate in D.C. was just slashed in half.
It should be noted that while FanDuel now has competition in Washington, it still dominates on a national level, with a market share of above 30% for every quarter in the last year and a half. BetMGM’s market share has fallen significantly over the last year with the rise of DraftKings, and was only around 12% in Q4 of 2023. Caesars is generally fourth in market share among the big four, its share has been under 10% in at least the last six quarters.
A big win for D.C. bettors
What do bettors get with the addition of BetMGM D.C. and Caesars D.C.? First and foremost, they get variety. When you’re not bound to one sportsbook, you can have a much more convenient and exciting betting experience. You now have multiple welcome bonuses you can claim, multiple selections of existing user promos like odds boosts or parlay insurance, and a wider selection of sports, leagues, and betting markets overall.
The most beneficial part of having multiple sportsbooks in town might be odds shopping. Before Wednesday, if FanDuel didn’t have favorable odds on a bet you wanted to make, there wasn’t much you could do. However, with three sportsbooks available, you can check where the most profitable odds are every time and place your bet there. Competition is always good for the bettor.
What do BetMGM and Caesars offer specifically?
One thing that sticks out at both BetMGM and Caesars is their loyalty programs. MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment are both gaming industry giants with retail locations across the country, and you feel that with the loyalty programs offered by their sportsbooks. Loyalty points can get you so much more than sportsbook bonus bets. With enough points, you can earn hotel stays, dining opportunities, and plenty of other entertainment and leisure experiences at Caesars or MGM resorts and casinos around the US.
Apart from their lucrative loyalty programs, both BetMGM and Caesars have competitive odds, a user-friendly app, and a wide selection of betting markets and bonuses.
D.C. sports fans now have multiple options for placing bets on their favorite teams. Other brands are looking to get into the Washington sports betting market as well, so stay tuned for updates in the future.