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DC Councilmember Silverman Proposes Competitive Sports Betting Bill

Tiffany Burroughs
Updated: 23 June 2023
2 min to read

A member of the Washington DC city council is attempting to reinvigorate the lackluster GamBetDC sports betting app, which debuted in early 2021, by instituting a competitive bidding process.
silverman sports betting

On Monday, Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) proposed legislation to establish more competition in terms of sports betting on the National Mall in Washington, DC (Image: Architectural Digest). This comes in response to a controversial sole-source contract with Intralot that has singled out mobile sports betting provider GamBetDC since 2024. Many have claimed that this lack of a competitive bidding process is the cause of GamBetDC’s lagging performances in the market. Initially projected to bring in $25 million for the District’s budget, sports betting has instead seen a loss of $4 million in the program’s first year, according to Silverman’s office.

Since its launch, GambetDC has faced widespread criticism from bettors who claim that the lines offered put them at a disadvantage. For instance, it was reported that the app offered odds of -115 to -118 (requiring bettors to bet $115 or $118 to win $100) on games which usually have odds of -110 (meaning bettors need to bet $110 to win $100). Furthermore, the app has been experiencing technical issues, such as failing iPhone users during the highly wagered-on Super Bowl event in the US. In response to this, Silverman wants to use the Maryland/Virginia model.

Silverman Wants Maryland/Virginia Model

Councilmember Silverman is pushing the U.S. capital city to pass the Sports Wagering and Fair Competition Amendment Act of 2022 in order to create a similar sports betting model to that of Maryland and Virginia. Maryland does not yet permit mobile betting, but they will be allowing multiple operators to provide mobile platforms. Virginia already has this in place. Both Maryland and Virginia have quickly expanding, robust sports wagering markets that are mainly operated by commercial companies, not lotteries, which has led to evidence suggesting DC citizens are betting in those states. Data from Washington, DC shows that despite the easy access of GamBetDC, the app has a small market share compared to the sportsbooks at sports venues, which are under the control of commercial gaming companies.

Councilmember Silverman proposed a bill that would allow for lotteries and sports betting programs to become revenue generators for the city. The revenue generated would be used to fund public safety, public education, and housing projects. Silverman hopes to end the bad practice of awarding non-competitive contracts with the bill. Three other councilmembers are supporting the proposal.

Ins and Outs of Silverman Bill

Silverman’s proposed legislation focuses on two key areas – competition and profitability. It includes a 15% tax on mobile sports betting, identical to that of Maryland and Virginia. As well as ending the Intralot contract, Silverman advocates for all DC Lottery and sports betting agreements to be tendered to multiple applicants, and that they are required to demonstrate how their plans will make a profit for the District. Her statement urges that more consideration must be taken for profitability: “Get serious about profitability, requiring bidders for those contracts to reasonably show how they would make money for the District.”

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Updated: 23 June 2023
2 min to read

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