Legal Washington DC Sportsbooks 2025: DC Sports Betting & Legislation Updates

What you Need to Know About Sports Betting in Washington DC

When looking at sports betting in Washington DC, it’s important to grasp the underlying legality. Although DC has been fairly strict in relation to online gambling, there has at least been excellent progress for sports betting, with the first online sportsbooks originally launching in 2020.

This was GamebetDC which was the first state-legalized online sportsbook, but it soon fell apart and proved a non-started due to the non-competitive betting lines and quality of the site. After the initial failure, several established brands in other states applied for licenses and started to operate in DC, these included Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and finally Fanatics.

So, these are currently the only 5 legal online sportsbooks, and you must be over 18 and an Evergreen State resident to register at them. Also, college sports betting is effectively prohibited for in-state events and teams, and any winnings of $5,000 must be declared to the IRS and will be subject to the full 24% tax rate.

Washington DC Online Sports Betting Updates

With online sports betting being so new in the state, there haven’t been many developments in the last 6 months. Perhaps in time, other popular brands such as bet365 could apply for a license to operate in Washington DC, but for now, it’s just the five online sportsbooks - Caesars, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics. Below, we’ve listed some key updates for online sports betting in Washington DC:

• July 30, 2025 – The Council of the District of Columbia approved the Fiscal Year 2026 budget with a retroactive exemption removing legalized sports wagering from the District’s loss-recovery statute, effectively mooting the “DC Gambling Recovery” lawsuit.

• February 28, 2025 – DC Gambling Recovery LLC filed a lawsuit invoking the 18th-century “Statute of Anne” to claw back bettors’ losses from licensed sportsbooks; the case was later removed to federal court.

• January 21, 2025 – ESPN BET launched across the District via PENN Entertainment and Monumental Sports & Entertainment market access, bringing the number of live mobile sportsbooks to six.

• January 13, 2025 – PENN Entertainment announced its partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to secure online market access for ESPN BET in Washington, D.C.

• July 2025 – The Office of Lottery and Gaming posted its unaudited monthly operator report for July (covering DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, Fanatics, and ESPN BET).

Best Washington DC Sportsbooks Reviewed

We want you to have the best possible online betting experience in Washington DC and be able to place bets on your favorite teams like the Commanders and Nationals. With that in mind, we’ve given you five mini reviews below of the currently available legal sportsbooks you can find here.

If new options are added, we will keep this page update, but for now, you’ve got five superb options to choose from and we think each of them can provide something different depending on which sports or teams you like, or the types of bets you like to make.

DraftKings - great for props bet variety

Pros & Cons

• Superb props bets
• Great welcome bonus
• Dynasty rewards

• Desktop site a little outdated

DraftKings is our first pick, and we think this is a brilliant option for those who love experimenting with props bets or creating detailed same game parlays. There's a load of choice for all the major sports and DC teams, including a heap of player and team props for the individual games. This includes both futures options and in-game betting.

DraftKings brings density and data to D.C. with Same Game Parlay Extra (SGPx) for combining multiple SGPs and singles into one ticket, perfect when you want a Caps SGP riding alongside a separate NBA or NFL leg, and the Stats Hub layers in trends and betting splits right on the game page to speed up your build.

If you want to give it a try for yourself, read our DraftKings review for more info.

Sports Promo

4.8/5

New Customers: Bet $5+ and get $200 in Bonus Bets if it wins!

Welcome Offer

Open DraftKings

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FanDuel - top pick for live betting

Pros & Cons

• Great live betting
• High-value welcome bonus
• Excellent soccer markets

• Support hard to find

FanDuel is a well-rounded online sportsbook that has plenty of betting options for all the Washington DC teams including the Commanders, Wizards, DC United, Capitals, and Nationals. We rate this as one of the best options for in-play betting too. For each game, you have a wide range of betting options, but plenty of stats, plus for select matches you have live streaming too.

FanDuel in D.C. is the fastest route to live action and Same Game Parlays on Commanders, Wizards, Capitals, and Nats slates, and the LIVE tab’s The Pulse feed surfaces storyline-driven micro-markets as games swing so you don’t have to dig. For NFL season, Bet Protect cushions eligible player-prop bets if your pick goes down early, and the app works district-wide after FanDuel replaced GambetDC.

BetMGM - awesome NBA betting options

Pros & Cons

• Top NBA betting
• Awesome mobile app
• Easy-to-use website

• Needs more promos for existing customers

BetMGM in D.C. is a sportsbook with flexible building and in-game management: One Game Parlay spans the big leagues, the live menu turns over props and alternates fast, and Edit My Bet lets you add/swap legs or tweak stakes on eligible tickets whenever Cash Out is available, handy when a Wizards run or late Commanders drive flips the script.

NBA fans should give BetMGM a try as this has long been our favorite betting site for the Playoffs and Finals. It features all the games including the Summer League, NBA Cup, regular season, Playoffs, and Finals, and has some of the best betting options we’ve seen for the individual games and players. You can also place some futures bets on season awards like the regular season MVP, and who you think will make the Playoffs.

Sports Promo

4.8/5

New Customers: Bet $5+ and get $200 in Bonus Bets if it wins!

Welcome Offer

Open DraftKings

Get Bonus

Caesars Sportsbook - official NFL partner

Pros & Cons

• Best NFL coverage
• Lots of special bets
• Great for in-play betting

• Desktop site is basic

If you’re an NFL fan then Caesars Sportsbook will most likely be your top pick as this brand is actually an official NFL partner. Their NFL betting options are awesome and include all pre-season games. You can also usually find a great range of special bets, parlays, and same game parlays picked by other bettors and Caesars staff. You can read our Caesars Sportsbook review for more info on the bet types and features.

Caesars puts a clean SGP builder and deep player-prop menus front and center for D.C. bettors, with early Cash Out on many markets and the added perk of Caesars Rewards, every wager earns Reward Credits you can use across the Caesars network.

Fanatics - high-quality mobile app

Pros & Cons

• Brilliant mobile app
• Also has retail locations
• Good selection of futures bets

• No desktop site

Fanatics Sportsbook leans into a slick UI, quick bet-building, and wide Cash Out support, but its differentiator in D.C. is FanCash. This is a rewards currency you earn on settled wagers that you can convert into bonus bets or spend on team gear, which plays nicely with local fandom.

We love this DC sportsbook due to the incredible quality of its mobile app. Indeed, it’s actually a mobile-only online sportsbook and you can download the app for Android or iOS devices. It works like a dream, has smooth navigation, and offers a fantastic live betting section for all your favorite Washington DC teams. For more info about how Fanatics works and the sports it supports, you can read our full Fanatics review.

Popular Sports to Bet on in Washington DC

The legal sportsbooks we have listed above all have an immense range of sports that you can bet on - from football and tennis to golf and basketball. However, from our testing and research, we’ve generally found that certain sports stand out and remain popular in The District.

NFL

The NFL remains one of the most popular competitions to bet on in the state and it’s not difficult to see why with the stratospheric rise of the Washington Commanders. Things have never looked as good for NFL fans in DC and this is supported by the excellent football betting options that sites like Caesars and DraftKings have.

NBA and WNBA

Basketball has long been popular in The District and while the Wizards certainly are a long way from their days when MJ played, the new roster of young and upcoming players they have gives cause for optimism. In a similar manner, the WNBA Mystics have two of the brightest young rookie stars and are set to become a force in years to come. Basketball fans will love the range of betting options in DC for both the NBA and WNBA.

MLB

Sports fans will most likely remember the Washington Capitals triumph in the 2019 World Series, and although the club hasn’t had much success since then, betting on MLB baseball remains incredibly popular in the state. The five sportsbooks featured here all have a fantastic range of betting options including the pre-season events, and special events like MLB Tokyo.

Washington DC Sports Betting Legislation

The overriding piece of legislation dictating the legality of sports betting in Washington DC is the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018. Also known as B22-0944, this bill was originally proposed to the DC City Council for consideration in 2018, but was not passed and signed off until 2019.

Other Washington DC Betting Options

Sports betting is easily the most popular and widely available form of iGaming entertainment in the state, but it isn’t your only option. Below, we’ve listed three other main types of gaming that you can legally engage in here.

DC Lottery

Lotteries are legal in Washington DC with the DC Lottery being the main provider. This online brand is state-sponsored and has a range of different lottery draws you can enter including DC2, DC3, Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, Race2Riches, and DC Fast Play.

Sweepstakes casinos

Although real money online casinos are not legal in the state, Washington DC residents can legally play at a range of superb sweepstakes casinos. These are sites where you play using virtual currencies like Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins and have the chance to get GC and SC prizes in return.

You can’t win real money, but Sweeps Coins often have the potential to be redeemed for cash prizes, provided you have met the eligibility requirements. You can check out our sweepstakes casinos section for more information and reviews.

Social sportsbooks

Like sweepstakes casinos, there is also a free-to-play alternative for sportsbooks known as social sportsbooks that are legal in The District. These sites allow you to make social picks on your favorite DC teams using virtual currencies like Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Like social casinos, you also potentially have the chance to redeem your SC for cash prizes, and many of these sites feature in-play social picks too and you can learn more about them in our social sportsbooks section.

Retail Betting Locations in Washington DC

Aside from the online sports betting options that The District residents have, the state also has a range of retail sportsbook locations and these are typically divided into Class A and Class B facilities.

Class A facilities are essentially associated with the Washington DC pro sports teams, while Class B operations can apply to a wider range of businesses. You can see the current available retail sportsbook locations below:

• Audi Field - home of DC United and the FanDuel retail sportsbook.
• Capital One Arena - home of the Wizards and Capitals and the Caesars retail sportsbook.
• Nationals Park - home of the Nationals and the BetMGM retail sportsbook.
• Grand Central Sportsbooks & Cafe - Class B retail sportsbook opened in 2021.
• Grand Central Sportsbook H Street - Class B retail sportsbook opened in 204.

FAQs

Is online sports betting legal in Washington DC?

Yes. Online sports betting has been legal in Washington DC since 2020 when the first operator - GameBetDC launched. Since then, five other brands have emerged as legal online sports betting providers including FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, and Fanatics.

What is the legal age for sports betting in Washington DC?

For online sports betting you must be over 18 to legally register and play at one of the five DC sportsbooks. In terms of retail sports betting, you must also be over 18 unless it’s a premises that serves alcohol, in which case you must be over 21.

What is the tax rate for sports betting in Washington DC?

There is no tax rate on winnings under $5,000 in Washington DC at online sportsbooks. However, if your winnings are over $5,000, then you have to submit these to the IRS and they will be taxed at the full rate of 24%.

What sportsbooks are available in Washington DC?

Currently there are only five legal online sportsbooks in The District. These include Caesars Sportsbook, FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, and BetMGM. We recommend each of these sites and you can get started at any of them by clicking the links we have on this page.

Do I need to be a resident to bet online in Washington DC?

Yes. If you want to access one of the legal Washington DC sportsbooks like FanDuel or Caesars then you have to be a resident of The District and over 18.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Damien Souness as part of our fact-checking process.