DC Sports Betting Finally Launches Amidst Lack Of Games

It has been a long time coming for sports betting to finally make its way to Washington, DC. On Thursday, that all changed, as the District of Columbia launched its GambetDC platform, which is run by the DC Lottery.
This is a computer-based platform only right now for the users, as the Android and iOS versions will be unveiled at some point in June, according to the Washington Post.
For now, this is the only spot to place wagers in the nation’s capital. When the world gets back to normal, those offerings will be available in arenas, restaurants, and sports bars that have the betting kiosks.
It’s a particularly different way of doing business, considering nearby New Jersey and Pennsylvania have several different providers like DraftKings and FanDuel. Also, there are numerous ways to place those bets, whether it’s in person at the sportsbook or doing it on your computer/phone.
Just as it goes with all things in life, there are complaints already with DC’s betting platform. However, the issues attached to the odds come with good reasoning.
As an example, the Week 1 NFL matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins already has odds for the Sept. 13 battle. Gambet has -118 odds on both ends of the spread, giving it a hold percentage of 7.63 percent – tied for the highest along with Sports Bet Montana. Doing this, in such a singular market, is going to frustrate bettors to no end with the risk of having even more losses.
For reference, -110 odds on a bet are typically the industry-standard – meaning you’ll have to risk $110 to win $100, $220 to win $200, etc. All of the major players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are right there at the -110 mark for the Week 1 NFL games.
PointsBet, the number three provider in New Jersey, even had -105 odds on NFL games to start last season.
It may seem like only a couple of dollars for recreational bettors, but once you start making more expensive bets, these intricacies are too hard to ignore. When there aren’t many items on the sports betting menu, it feels like bettors are being pigeon-holed into something that isn’t in their favor.
Lack Of Sports
Currently, there are only three sports – darts, MMA and soccer – that are available to be wagered on. However, the site does have plenty of futures and matchups to bet on now that will be settled at a later date.
“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,” GambetDC’s website explains.
There is more of an optimistic feeling around the sports world than at any point in the last two months. European soccer leagues have dates to return while the NHL just laid out its return-to-play plan earlier this week.
Hopefully, everything goes off according to plan, and the great residents of DC can finally have their sports betting plate full like it was initially intended to be.