D.C. Council legalizes sports betting, becoming first in Washington region

Search

Member
Handicapper
Joined
Sep 18, 2006
Messages
18,959
Tokens
The D.C. Council gave final approval to legal sports betting Tuesday, making the nation’s capital the first in the region to allow residents and visitors to bet money on professional sports teams and contests.

The bill easily passed on an 11-to-2 vote. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) supports the legislation.

In May, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law outlawing sports betting outside of Nevada. The ruling mobilized lawmakers across the nation who were looking for new sources of revenue and an industry that was looking to expand rapidly.

The District will join seven other jurisdictions outside Nevada that allow sports gambling: New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, West Virginia and New Mexico. Arkansas and New York are positioned to join next year.

Lawmakers in Virginia and Maryland have yet to act, while a casino in West Virginia is the closest place for Washingtonians to place a legal wager.

After they approved the measure, lawmakers passed emergency language so that sports betting can begin as soon as Bowser signs the legislation. It requires that anyone betting be 18 or older.


Proponents of legal sports betting say people are already gambling on the outcome of games, so governments should tax and regulate the practice. But critics say promises of revenue are often overblown and warn of social ills, including gambling addiction.

The D.C. Lottery would oversee sports betting under the bill written by council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2).

“We’re entering into new territory with sports gaming,” Evans said before the vote.





https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wa...a8a842-02ef-11e9-b6a9-0aa5c2fcc9e4_story.html
 

Forum statistics

Threads
1,106,900
Messages
13,439,376
Members
99,341
Latest member
inac
The RX is the sports betting industry's leading information portal for bonuses, picks, and sportsbook reviews. Find the best deals offered by a sportsbook in your state and browse our free picks section.FacebookTwitterInstagramContact Usforum@therx.com