Photo by Sheep”R”Us.

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans says he wants the District to be the first jurisdiction in the area to allow residents to bet on sports.

“Why is it important to be first? An analogy that was told to me is a good one: Why do I have Uber on my phone instead of Lyft? Because Uber got to me first. And so, I use Uber, and I don’t use Lyft,” says Evans who introduced a bill Tuesday that would legalize sports betting in the District. If approved, D.C. residents would be able to bet on sports by the end of the year.

If approved, D.C. residents would be able to bet on sports by the end of the year. The majority of the council and Mayor Muriel Bowser back the bill, according to The Washington Post.

Being first to legalize sports betting means that D.C. also would be first to reap the financial benefits. If the council approves sports gambling this year, the District would be months ahead of Maryland and Virginia.

The push comes after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a federal law that barred states from allowing legalized sports betting. Several states, including nearby Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have legalized sports betting since the ruling came down.

The Maryland General Assembly introduced a bill in the last legislative session that would have legalized sports gambling. The House approved the bill, but the Senate failed to take action before the session ended.

The District has tried to legalize forms of gambling in the past, but those attempts were shot down by religious institutions that consider gambling a dangerous vice. Evans said, with the opening of casinos all over Maryland including one very close to D.C., that view of gambling appears to be waning.

“They built the MGM Grand Casino right on the river less than a mile from the District,” he said. “They have a number of casinos throughout Maryland, lotteries, gambling. Most states have [lotteries] now. I don’t see that opposition that used to be there.”

Evans singles out the MGM National Harbor, saying that thousands of D.C. residents flock to the casino every year. And, he said, when they do, all that revenue leaves the District.

This story was originally published on WAMU.