After a delayed launch, D.C.’s first sports betting app went live today—sort of.
GambetDC, the city’s new online sports gambling platform, is now available through a web browser page. The iOS and Android app version is slated to launch sometime in June, according to the Washington Post. (DCist has reached out to D.C. Lottery but did not receive an immediate response.)
The app was first expected to arrive by National’s Opening Day in early April, but it was postponed as the pandemic shut down collegiate and professional sports. Now, officials are calling the website unveiling a “soft launch,” of what’s hopefully to come for D.C. sports betting when the world returns to somewhat normal operations.
“We know that there is a limited number of events to wager on but we wanted to provide you with an opportunity get familiar with the platform in preparation for the return of sports,” Gambet’s website explains.
“Limited number of events” is something of an understatement. There are just three kinds of sporting events—soccer, MMA, and darts—this weekend (though it does list events in the future).
Meanwhile, sports fans have taken issue with the site’s odds and infrastructure. Two Washington Post sports bloggers called the site a “bad bet” in an article Thursday, critiquing its high-cost wagers and reportedly frustrating glitches with the platform’s location verification. (You have to be physically in D.C. to place a bet on the site.)
GambetDC’s seemingly underwhelming and rocky roll-out Thursday follows a controversial history for sports betting in D.C., which was first legalized in D.C. in 2018. The next year, the D.C. Council raised eyebrows by awarding the $215 million contract to Intralot (the company that runs the D.C. Lottery) without a competitive bidding process.
While it may be a work in progress, GambetDC still has a bit of time to iron out its issues before the city’s sports scene comes back to life. MLB has approved a plan that would allow teams to resume play in their home parks in early July, but it requires approval from local governments (D.C. is entering phase one of reopening on Friday, where sports venues will remain closed.) The NFL released its new fall 2020 schedule with play resuming in early September, and the NHL approved a plan for a truncated season, but both initiatives may be subject to change as course of the pandemic progresses.
Colleen Grablick