FanDuel’s short-lived monopoly on the districtwide online sports betting market in Washington DC will end on Monday as Caesars and BetMGM launch their platforms.
The two sportsbooks just need to go through a final round of testing before they get the official green light to proceed. They already have a presence in the region as BetMGM has run a retail sportsbook at Nationals Park since January 2022 and Caesars has had a similar facility at the Capital One Arena since May 2021. It looks like DraftKings and Fanatics will also try to get in on the action in Washington DC.
FanDuel’s existing deal sees it pay 40% of revenue to the district
FanDuel only assumed the role of the sole operator of DC in April after an underwhelming four years for GambetDC. The operator’s President Christian Genetski said last month that the company would attempt to tear up its agreement if other operators were allowed to enter the market. FanDuel’s existing deal sees it pay 40% of revenue to the district, with BetMGM and Caesars only set to pay a 20% rate.
The move away from the monopoly model became a reality last month after DC Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s legislation received sufficient support to secure inclusion in the budget.