DraftKings plans to launch online sports betting in Washington DC

The move follows a market access agreement with DC United.

US.- DraftKings has announced its intention to launch its online sportsbook in Washington DC following the opening of the market to competition. The operator has a market access agreement with DC United.

Pending licensure and regulatory approvals, the District of Columbia will be the 29th jurisdiction in North America in which DraftKings Sportsbook operates. BetMGM and Caesars went live in Washington DC last week, following the DC Council’s approval of a budget provision to open the mobile sports betting market to up to seven operators.

Matt Kalish, president of DraftKings North America, said: “It has been incredible to see legalized sports betting grow rapidly over the past six years, and with plans to launch our online sportsbook in DC, DraftKings looks forward to expanding its presence in more than half the country. We would like to thank the D.C. Council for creating a path to bring DraftKings’ top-rated sportsbook to the nation’s capital. Together with D.C. United, we look forward to delivering fans a best-in-class experience through our customer-friendly product.”

Danita Johnson, president of business operations for DC United, added: “With the D.C. Council’s recent decision to expand the world of sports betting in D.C., we look forward to working with DraftKings to introduce their online sportsbook as another way for D.C. residents to bet in the city. Our goal is to always make every fan experience seamless, and this platform will help us to deliver on that promise.”

See also: DraftKings reports 53% increase in Q1 revenue

The change in DC ends FanDuel’s exclusivity as the sole District-wide operator in partnership with the DC Lottery. BetMGM and Caesars’ mobile sportsbooks were previously only accessible within exclusions zones around land-based venues. BetMGM has a retail sportsbook at Nationals Park and Caesars at Capital One Arena, which was the first sportsbook in a US professional sports venue.

See also: Washington DC sports betting handle reaches record $35.4m in May