Washington, D.C.: FanDuel threatens to end partnership with lottery as lawmakers approve plans to expand sports betting market

Monday, June 17, 2024 12:56 PM
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  • Sam Bentham, Special to CDC Gaming

FanDuel president Christian Genetski has penned a letter to Washington, D.C., Council Chairman Phil Mendelson stating the company would “invoke its termination right” to run the District’s mobile betting operations, as reported by BizJournals,

The letter was delivered in advance of D.C. lawmakers approving a 2025 budget that included provisions to allow the sports betting market to expand and other operators to offer mobile sports betting.

Commenting on the passage of the budget, which awaits approval from Mayor Muriel Bowser, FanDuel said it “remains committed to providing D.C. residents with a best-in-class sports betting offering under its current contract with the Office of Lottery and Gaming, while also maximizing revenue to the District under that agreement.”

Even if FanDuel ends the partnership with the D.C. regulator, it can continue to operate in the District by forming a partnership with one of the city’s sports teams to gain a Class C license and continue with its Class A license. Class C licenses are one of the new provisions in the proposed expansion to the D.C. sports betting market.

Dissolving the partnership would leave the DC Lottery looking for another operator to run its sportsbook. While previous operator GambetDC struggled throughout its time operating in the District, FanDuel’s takeover saw the platform bring in $1.9 million in revenue in a month, compared to GambetDC, which brought in a total of $4.3 million since launching in 2020.

Sam Bentham is a US Editor and Staff Writer at Major League Content. Having studied media production and played American football in his [English] university, he’s passionate about US sports and gambling, having covered both industries for years.