Washington D.C. Ends 2020 Down in Sports Betting Handle, Totals $12.4m

The sports betting handle in Washington D.C. dipped in December. William Hill and GambetDC are the only two legal sportsbooks that are currently operating in the district. Although, GambetDC and William Hill’s handles didn’t follow the same trajectory in December.

December Handles

William Hill is the leading sports betting provider in Washington D.C. The sportsbook carries the load when it comes to total betting handle per month. In December, William Hill announced that its monthly handle had decreased 9.5% from November to December. The total handle in December was $12.4 million; $1.3 million lower than November’s total.

The Washington D.C. Lottery app, GambetDC, experienced growth in December. GambetDC’s strong marketing could be pulling people away from William Hill. The total GambetDC handle in December was $4.3 million, a 10% increase from the November handle.

Washington D.C.’s total sports betting handle declined 8.6% from November to December. In December, the total handle across both books was $16.7 million.

William Hill’s Handle Should be on the Rise

January will be the first full month that the William Hill Sportsbook app will be available in the district. In December, the company announced their app had been approved by the D.C Office of Lottery and Gaming. This is positive news for the company after receiving their disappointing numbers during December.

There will be some restrictions around the William Hill Sportsbook app. For starters, the app can only be used within a two-block radius of Capital One Arena. Additionally, the app will allow bettors to register, deposit, and withdraw funds. It will also offer a wide array of wager types and betting markets.

William Hill is the official partner of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, and Washington Mystics. The Wizards and Capitals are in season, so their arena traffic should contribute to a rise in William Hill’s total betting handle.

A complete retail sportsbook will open inside Capital One Arena at some point in 2021. This new sportsbook is expected to help William Hill continue its domination in the D.C. market.

BetMGM and FanDuel in 2021

William Hill needs to install a stellar sportsbook because big sports betting providers could be coming to the district in the near future. On January 11th, the Washington Nationals formed an agreement with BetMGM to be the team’s official sports betting partner.

The Nationals will open a retail BetMGM sportsbook inside their stadium. Like William Hill, a BetMGM app will be available within a couple of blocks of the stadium. During games, fans inside the stadium will be able to bet directly from the BetMGM app.

BetMGM could dominate the market during baseball season because of Washington D.C.’s strict sports betting rules. This partnership has been approved by the D.C. Lottery. FanDuel also wants to take advantage of the prominent D.C. sports betting market. FanDuel created a partnership with the D.C United to open a retail sportsbook inside Audi Stadium. The United and FanDuel are still waiting for approval from the D.C lottery to start construction on this sportsbook.