DC Office of Lottery and Gaming dumps glitchy GambetDC for FanDuel
WASHINGTON - D.C.'s Office of Lottery and Gaming announced over the weekend that FanDuel is the new sports wagering subcontractor for Intralot, Inc., OLG’s lottery and sports wagering system vendor.
The OLG confirms they’re getting rid of the GambetDC app, which has been subject to glitches and controversy, and moving on to the more established platform.
In a statement, OLG's Executive Director Frank Suarez said, "FanDuel’s industry-leading offering will ensure that the District maximizes revenue under its existing contracts this year while delivering a best-in-class experience for 18+ residents."
FOX 5 has documented issues with GamBet over the years: glitches, an outage during the Super Bowl, one of the biggest sports betting days of the year, and frustration from some members of the D.C. Council over the performance.
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That frustration was evident at an oversight hearing in January hosted by Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie — who lamented that revenue projections for the District had fallen well short.
"I have heard from many residents about the unease around the city’s woeful performance on sports betting. And I absolutely share those same sentiments," said Councilmember McDuffie. "From issues around usability to customer service and seriously declining revenue, we know the current model simply is not working. These concerns have only grown over time."
In a statement to Fox 5 Monday, McDuffie, Chair of the Council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development lamented the decision wasn’t made earlier.
According to the D.C. Lottery, they brought in just $1.3 million in tax revenue, thanks to its sports betting operation in 2023.
With his move, the agency is expecting at least $10 million in direct tax revenue annually.
They claim that D.C. already has 20,000 FanDuel users who have generated $15 million because of bets placed in Maryland and Virginia.
In a February hearing, D.C. Lottery Director Frank Suarez said OLG had the unilateral authority to approve a subcontractor change to FanDuel under the District’s current agreement with Intralot.
However, the District’s agreement with Intralot expires on July 15.
At the February hearing, Suarez indicated there would be an extension of that contract, but didn’t have further details on how long. Another official said it was a 5-year deal with Intralot with an option to extend for all or part of five additional years.
FOX 5 asked D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser about the future of sports betting and the lottery.
"My concern will be broadly about the overall contract, which I think should be re-bid coming up. And so we’ll be looking at what that process is," Bowser said.
D.C.’s current structure is more the exception than rule when it comes to sports betting apps.
FOX 5 spoke with Marc Edelman, a sports law attorney with expertise in sports betting. He says most jurisdictions, Maryland and Virginia among them, have several platforms and that competition enhances the product for users.
"What D.C. has done, by only choosing a single player is in some way takes away the incentive for that single player, no matter who they are in the marketplace, innovating and providing the highest level of service," Edelman said.
Edelman said he would expect improvement given FanDuel’s status as a national player in the sports betting landscape, but adds that, especially in D.C., he thinks more competition benefits consumers.
For its part, the D.C. Lottery says the current structure maximizes profits and minimizes risks.
As of now, D.C. sports betters should officially be able to start making wagers on FanDuel in the spring.