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DraftKings Preparing to Launch in Washington D.C.

Sean Tomlinson

Last Updated: July 25, 2024 12:07 PM EDT • 1 min 2 sec read.

There were some stumbling blocks along the way, but Washington DC bettors are finally getting multiple best sports betting sites.

It was a land that was home to only FanDuel until recently passed legislation that expanded the market, paving the way for Caesars and BetMGM to join. And now another behemoth is entering the fray, too.

DraftKings, which is always among the best sports betting apps, holds a market-access agreement with the MLS team D.C. United, bringing it closer to soon gaining full entry into the area through its online app.

Swift changes

Until recently, FanDuel effectively monopolized the DC sports betting scene. FanDuel thrived initially, too, smashing records after taking over for the struggling GamebetDC.

But multiple sportsbooks that offer the best sportsbook promos were then allowed to join through a provision in the district's budget for 2025, which was approved in late June before going into effect on July 15.

Caesars and BetMGM then went live on July 17 while offering DC sportsbook promos.

Now DraftKings is preparing to join the other best sportsbooks and expand into its 29th region in the United States. It's putting out a promo to celebrate the occasion, offering $200 in bonus bets once after going fully live.

“It has been incredible to see legalized sports betting grow rapidly over the past six years, and with plans to launch our online sportsbook in D.C., DraftKings looks forward to expanding its presence in more than half the country,” Matt Kalish, the president of DraftKings North America, said in a statement.

“We would like to thank the D.C. Council for creating a path to bring DraftKings’ top-rated sportsbook to the nation’s capital," he added. "Together with D.C. United, we look forward to delivering fans a best-in-class experience through our customer-friendly product.”

Written By:
Sean Tomlinson
Sean Tomlinson has been in the sports media wilderness since 2009, and he joined Sportsbook Review in 2021. His work has been referenced in The New York Times and Forbes. He's also made appearances on The Fan 590 and TSN 1050. Sean is a regular bettor who places bets daily while using a handful of books. Most frequently, he uses FanDuel and bet365 due to the quality experience on those apps. While he'll often take an analytical approach, Sean enjoys the fun, recreational side of betting too, and embraces alternative markets on events like the Westminster Dog Show or Eurovision, or the many novelty props tied annually to the Super Bowl, for example. Beyond sports, Sean is also interested in the betting markets tied to politics, and especially those connected to American elections. He sees betting as a way to explore and engage in a deeper way, and takes that same view to his work. He plays poker periodically too, and is an avid fantasy sports player. Sean also previously spent time with Bleacher Report and theScore, all after earning his media studies degree from the University of Guelph-Humber.