Washington DC mayor proposes poker, blackjack and bingo legalisation
Mayor Muriel Bowser says legalising card games could bring revenue to the city from residents and visitors.
US.- Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser has proposed Council Bill B26-0379, which would permit regulated poker and blackjack tournaments in licensed venues and expand commercial bingo operations.
Bowser has submitted the “Poker and Blackjack Gaming Authorization Act of 2025” to council chairman Phil Mendelson. She said the move would “enable the District to recapture revenue from residents and visitors who travel across the border from Maryland for legal card gaming.”
The initiative proposes a $5,000 application fee for a two-year licence, plus a $2,000 fee for each location opened by a licensee. A licence renewal would cost $1,500, while location renewal fees would be $500.
Poker and blackjack gross revenue would be taxed at 25 per cent, with the first $250,000 collected each fiscal year deposited into the district’s Lottery, Gambling, and Gaming Fund. Bingo would be taxed at 7.5 per cent.
Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, chair of the Committee on Business and Economic Development, is a key supporter of the proposal. He said: “I think it’s another clear message that the mayor, the deputy mayor, and this city is sending, despite everything around us, that Washington DC is not standing still. Rather we are investing in our future and proving that inclusive growth, innovation, and economic opportunity are central to our story here in the District of Columbia.”
