First it was promised in time for the World Series. Then the Super Bowl. Then by March Madness. But now D.C. officials say sports betting could finally be a reality by the time the Washington Nationals kick off their season late next month.

Even then, though, sports fans may only be able to cast bets via an app; brick-and-mortar locations are expected to open more slowly over the coming months.

Nicole Jordan, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Lottery, says the city’s official sports betting app—the only one authorized to work across D.C.—is expected to be ready for public use at some point in late March. The app is being developed by Intralot, the Greek gaming giant that also runs the D.C. Lottery. The D.C. Council gave it a controversial $215 million sole-source contract last year, in part to speed the implementation of sports betting in D.C., which was first legalized at the end of 2018.

But the roll out has been slowed by legal challenges and bureaucratic quicksand. The D.C. Lottery had to write regulations for sports betting, covering everything from who can wager (anyone over 18) to where they can do so (on the lottery’s app or in physical facilities) and what sports are fair game (any professional sport is, any local college game is not). The last set of those regulations are expected to be finalized in early March.

The licensing process for brick-and-mortar sports books has also been chugging along slowly. Twenty-five bars and restaurants have gotten approval from the liquor board to host sports betting, and another seven are awaiting it. After they secure approval, they’ll next have to get the go-ahead from the D.C. Lottery.

For larger facilities, the lottery is currently reviewing a license application for a proposed sports betting venue to occupy the former space of the Greene Turtle at the Capital One Arena. The soccer club D.C. United has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to run a sportsbook at Audi Field, but a formal application had not been filed as of last week.

These brick-and-mortar facilities also will be allowed to let people use apps to cast bets, but only within the confines of the bar, restaurant or arena in which they are located. The D.C. Lottery’s app, on the other hand, will work across the city, except on federal land where gambling remains illegal.

Jeff Ifrah, an attorney who has been working with almost three dozen bars to get them cleared for sports betting, says the delays in rolling out the program have been “disappointing,” largely because of the way the Council gave Intralot its no-bid contract but also because of the revenue opportunities that have been missed.

“Did D.C. get the best bargain? The fact that they haven’t launched yet in 2020, that raises some questions. In terms of revenue on the table, that’s another issue. Because of the delay, they lost revenue over the Super Bowl and they’ll lose revenue over March Madness. Delays happen. In D.C., there was a particular emphasis on speed, and it’s disappointing but at this point consumers want to see something go live,” he says.

When the D.C. Council legalized sports betting in late 2018, city officials said revenue could come in at $20 million a year—with much of that money being split between early childhood education and violence prevention programs. But the delay in rolling out the program has tamped some expectations as to when money will come in, and how much there will be.

Sports betting is currently legal in 17 states, the closest of which are West Virginia and Delaware. Lawmakers in both Virginia and Maryland have indicated they will follow suit, though the final word in Maryland will likely be left to voters this November in the form of a referendum.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.