Best Gambling Sites in District of Columbia 2026

The District of Columbia legalized sports betting in 2018 and launched in 2019 under an unusual structure: the DC Lottery awarded a no-bid contract to Intralot to run a citywide mobile sportsbook (originally GambetDC), and private operators were allowed to run sportsbooks only inside specific commercial venues — Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena, FanDuel at Audi Field, BetMGM at Nationals Park, and a few others — with geofenced two-block radius mobile zones around each. GambetDC consistently underperformed and was widely criticized, leading the DC Council to overhaul the model. In 2024, FanDuel took over the citywide mobile contract from Intralot, and the new FanDuel-powered DC Lottery sportsbook launched in April 2024, dramatically improving the user experience and handle.

DC residents and visitors can use FanDuel Sportsbook (citywide), the venue-tethered apps from Caesars, BetMGM, and others (within their geofenced zones), buy DC Lottery tickets (Powerball, Mega Millions, DC-3, DC-4, DC-5, instant games), and play charitable bingo and raffles. There are no commercial casinos in DC — players cross into Maryland (MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino) for full casino gaming. There is no legal online casino in DC. DFS contests operate under tolerance.

For 2026, the FanDuel transition has stabilized the market and there is no immediate push for iCasino. The DC Office of Lottery and Gaming continues to oversee responsible gaming programs, and the helpline is 1-800-GAMBLER.