Photo by Lorie Shaull
From the office of Councilmember Elissa Silverman (no relation):
“Today D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman (I-At-Large) introduced legislation that would reboot the District’s troubled online sports wagering program by allowing mobile apps such as DraftKings and FanDuel to compete for business alongside D.C. Lottery’s poor performing GambetDC app. The bill would also prohibit the renewal of the city’s lottery contract with Intralot, which received a $215 million sole-source deal to run both the lottery and sports betting that was highly controversial.
The District’s sports betting program was supposed to be a bonanza, contributing approximately $25 million per year for the District’s budget. Instead, it has been dud–actually losing $4 million in its first full year of operations.
“We need to turn the page on this embarrassing episode,” Silverman said. “Residents deserve an online app that works, taxpayers deserve a program that brings in money for the District, and we all deserve a system where we don’t hand huge contracts to a preferred company and its subcontractors without even looking at the competition.”
Silverman was one of five Councilmembers who voted against the sole-source contract to Intralot, which operates D.C.’s lottery system. The contract and enabling legislation created an exclusive market for Intralot’s sports betting GambetDC app in the city, except around venues such as Capital One Arena and Nationals Park. Proponents of the deal said that the city would benefit from being a “first mover” in the region, but the Gambet app has been roundly criticized by betters for being difficult to use. Gambet largely shut down during the biggest sports betting event of the year – the Super Bowl. The program is bringing in less money than it has spent and is operating at a loss.
Gambet is the only app allowed to operate in the District, except in stadiums and retail establishments that are licensed separately to offer sports betting and in federal areas where sports gambling is not permitted. Meanwhile, neighboring jurisdictions are competing for sports betting revenue. Mobile sports betting apps became legal in Virginia last year, and Maryland is poised to launch its program as soon as next month.
Silverman’s legislation, the Sports Wagering and Fair Competition Amendment Act of 2022, would:
- Allow any company to apply for licenses to operate online and mobile sports betting apps in the District, with a 15% tax (same as the rate in Virginia and Maryland);
- Terminate the contract with Intralot in 2024, when it expires, instead of exercising an option to renew;
- Require competitive bidding for future contracts to run the District’s lottery system and sports betting operations; and
- Get serious about profitability, requiring bidders for those contracts to reasonably show how they would make money for the District.
“If we’re going to have a lottery and a sports betting program, let’s at least make it a revenue generator for the city so it can fund important efforts in public safety, public education and housing,” Silverman said. “And let’s stop the bad practice of awarding lucrative contracts without competition.”
The bill was co-introduced by Councilmembers Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6).”
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Thanks to Tracy for sending from Banneker recreation.
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We’re about a month out from summer. That means you’ve still got time for spring cleaning!
Lexi Grant, an operations manager at Well-Paid Maids, shared her go-to spring cleaning tips with WTOP News. Step one? Declutter. Get rid of items you don’t use, find space for items that need a home and organize those areas.
Then, it’s time to dust. Lexi starts with high-touch surface areas (think: refrigerator, dishwasher, counters, microwave). One area she sees often neglected is the bedroom — and it makes sense. Heavy furniture is difficult to move around, but it’s important to really get in there so dust doesn’t affect your sleep.
In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Passing of Giacomo Puccini
The Washington Opera Society Presents
Giacomo Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West”
Featuring: Jonathan Burton, Michael Butler, Kristin Sampson, Kevin Short, with Adam Cioffari, Andrew Boivert, Peter Burroughs, Collin Power, Josh Bates, Carl Rosenthal, Jude Regan, Jose Sacin, Solomon Collins, Anamer Castrello, Noah Mond, and Maestro Julian Benichou conducting the Chorus & Orchestra of the Washington Opera Society.
Beyond Boundaries: An Evening Curated by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
May 22-25 at 8pm
May 25-26 at 2pm
Internationally acclaimed choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa curates a special evening, including her lauded 2019 TWB commission, Delusional Beauty. Works from emerging choreographers, Chanel Da Silva and Houston Thomas will elevate diverse voices
AAPI Market and Beer Tasting at metrobar
Join metrobar, SAMASAMA Art, and Kam and 46 on Sunday, May 19th, for the annual “Sari-Sari Pop-Up Market” including a new addition with the team at DC Beer, “Cheers & Beers: AAPI Brewers of the DMV“!
The market is free
