The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the American sports betting industry hard. While casinos are being shut down indefinitely, losing millions in business, sports betting operations are faring no better. The retail sportsbooks have shut down and their online counterparts are facing equal issues. This is because most major sporting events have been canceled due to the pandemic and the social distancing guidelines issued by the authorities.

DC Lottery launch affected

The District of Columbia’s sports betting launch has been marred because of frequent delays. While the legalization effort was postponed time and again, the launch of their sports betting offering is also uncertain now. In January, the DC Lottery hoped to launch its Intralot-powered sports betting offering but they had to push the launch to Q1, 2020. However, on Monday, the Washington City Paper reported that the launch has now been delayed indefinitely.

A spokesperson for the Lottery said that the mobile and web sports betting platforms of the DC Lottery “are tested and ready to go live.” However, as most major sporting events around the globe have been canceled due to the coronavirus epidemic, there are “little-to-no games or bets to offer” to the residents. Therefore, the Lottery has decided to revise its launch strategy. It has promised to bring some updates regarding the matter in the upcoming days. It will likely introduce the brand and its functions to the users.

Was it because of Intralot’s financial issues?

There are rumors about Intralot’s financial issues delaying the launch but the spokesperson said that this was not the case. Note that the company’s shares have been nosediving since January 2018. At the time, it was valued at €1.37 as compared to the latest close of €0.14. The company hasn’t issued its Q4 2019 financial results and recently appointed Sokratis Kokkalis as its new CEO.

DC bettors may be more appreciative of the delays because Intralot powered betting product by Montana Lottery is facing the worst of times. Its betting service called Sports Bet Montana debuted earlier this month but bettors were outraged by the odds they had to offer. The money lines were also not in order as compared to their peers in other states. The vig went as high as -135 which has damaged the company’s already faltering reputation. It is unclear if the DC Lottery has had any talks with Intralot regarding the problems.