Washington DC reported total gross gaming revenue of $1.4 million from retail and DC online sports betting for July 2023.
Sports betting handle for July was down 31.9% year-over-year, and 31.3% month-over-month from June’s $11.2 million.
Despite declining handle, gross gaming revenue grew 188.3% month-over-month from $484,672 to $1.4 million. This owes to a remarkable 18.2% hold for commercial operators in a month where American sporting activity is effectively non-existent, and traditionally sports betting activity as its lowest. The hold for June was just 4.5% in comparison.
GambetDC, the online gambling platform run by DC Lottery and Intralot reported $0.5 million revenue from $3.1 million handle. Caesars reported $0.4 million from $2.7 million handle and BetMGM $0.3 million from $1.2 million. The retail locations took under $150,000 between them. Given two are at sporting locations, it’s unsurprising.
The law in Washington D.C. allows the four major sports arenas to host a retail sportsbooks, and offer limited mobile wagering within a two-block radius of their facilities. D.C. has not had the best progress since legalizing sports betting, with total sports betting revenue declining for FY22 by 13.4% year-over-year to $23.2 million.
The decline came despite expansion of the sports betting market, with additional retail sports betting locations. This is attributed to out-of-state competition from Maryland online sports betting, and retail casino. Maryland’s MGM National Harbor is approximately two miles across city limits.
The channel-mix in DC thus far is heavily weighted on the retail operations. Around 65% of FY22 handle was spent in retail locations, one of the heaviest retail mixes in locations where mobile betting is also legal across the entire country.
Revenue from privately-operated sports betting in D.C. is taxed at a rate of 10%. Gambet is not subject to tax, although all of the lottery’s returns after operating expenses are contributed to the city’s General Fund.