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FanDuel Threatens to End Mobile Betting in Washington DC

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: June 18, 2024 12:43 AM EDT • 1 min 12 sec read.

Washington Nationals pitcher Kyle Finnegan (67) celebrates after a game, as we explore FanDuel's potential termination of sports betting operations in Washington, D.C.
Washington Nationals pitcher Kyle Finnegan (67) celebrates after a game against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on June 16, 2024. Photo by Daniel Kucin Jr. / USA TODAY Sports via Imagn.

Before the Washington D.C. City Council approved a 2025 budget including provisions to expand the D.C. sports betting market, FanDuel president Christian Genetski sent a warning letter to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.

The letter warned that FanDuel, one of the best sports betting sites in the industry, could “invoke its termination right” if the budget passed and end its contract to operate mobile sports betting on behalf of the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG). 

Following the passage of the 2025 budget, FanDuel commented that 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.”

The proposal included in the budget would create a new type of sports betting license, a Class C license, allowing sportsbooks to agree to partnerships with local professional sports teams and launch betting platforms available everywhere in the District. FanDuel is the only sportsbook you can play from anywhere in Washington D.C., thanks to its agreement with the OLG.

In the letter, Geneteski said that if the budget passed, “any District-wide sportsbook operations by OLG would no longer have participation from FanDuel.” While the budget has passed the City Council, it still needs approval from Mayor Muriel Bowser. 

The loss of FanDuel would be a huge blow for the D.C. government, as the industry-leading sportsbook has taken D.C. sports betting to new heights since FanDuel took over from the failing GambetDC as the official sports betting partner of the district lottery.

FanDuel also outlined its plan to revert to offering retail sports betting at Audi Field through its Class A license before applying for a Class C license if it ends its partnership with the OLG. If this happens, the OLG will seek a new operator to take over its sports betting operations. Previously, Intralot oversaw the GambetDC betting platform.

Written By:
Ziv Chen
Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.