Washington D.C. Sports Betting Launch Indefinitely Suspended

• Washington D.C. sports betting has been pushed back yet again, but now due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• The D.C. Lottery decided to postpone the launch since there are no live sports to wager on due to shutdowns.
• Sports betting was originally intended to launch this month.

WASHINGTON – Another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic is the launch of Washington D.C. sports betting. Originally slated for a March release, the D.C. Lottery commission has officially postponed the launch indefinitely since there are no active sports to wager on.

The original plan was to launch sports betting in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness, to give D.C. residents sports betting in time for the major sporting event.

Since the tournament has been canceled due to the pandemic, and other sporting leagues are on hold such as the NBA and XFL, D.C. has decided to wait on the release.

Sports Betting On Pause

The coronavirus has deeply impacted the sports world and has affected legal sports betting in the process.

D.C. planned to launch sports betting months ago, and this set back will not only be an inconvenience, but a revenue hit as D.C. legislation expected a revenue boost with the sports betting launch.

“At this time, almost all professional sports leagues around the world have suspended indefinitely play due to growing concerns around the COVID-19 virus and, as a consequence, there are little-to-no games or bets to offer,” said a D.C. Lottery spokesperson.

“This goes for the Lottery’s offering, as well as any other sportsbooks operating in the U.S. and globally.”

The launch was originally intended to bring both land-based and online sports betting to the nation’s capital. All the betting systems were set and ready for the launch, only to be foiled by the global pandemic.

“The Lottery’s sports wagering mobile and web platforms are tested and ready to go live,” the spokesperson explained. “These platforms would be launched tomorrow if there were live sports available for consumers to [place] wagers.”

There is as of yet no official date for when sports betting will launch in D.C. For now, sports bettors in the capital can rely on online sportsbooks, who still host betting lines and prop bets as well as virtual sports betting which has seen a boom since the suspensions of multiple sporting leagues.

News tags: Coronavirus | COVID-19 | DC Lottery | Pandemic | Washington DC