District of Columbia Lottery recently announced the soft launch for its online betting platform. The launch comes after consistent delays in the project.

Soft launch of the product

The DC Office of Lottery and Charitable Gaming announced a soft launch for its online betting platform called GambetDC. Users can also place live bets on both collegiate and professional sporting events via the website. The iOS and Android app for the same will launch later this month. DC Lottery said that the net revenues generated from GambetDC will also be returned to the General Fund which will help in benefitting the local economy and residents.

The soft launch comes after Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 into law earlier in January. GambetDC does not require anyone to be a resident to register for an account. However, they will have to provide a state-issued ID, a social security card, and a valid driver’s license in order to be able to connect. The sports betting rules of the city came into effect on March 13.

Launch after several delays

DC Lottery planned to launch its sports betting product in fall last year, just before the NFL season began. However, it was facing a lawsuit regarding its $215 million no-bid contracts to Intralot, a Greek gaming company. The lawsuit is still in process will an appeal process. However, Intralot moved ahead with the development of the platform.

The launch was later pushed to March 2020 as college basketball season began during the month. However, both the launch and the sporting events were canceled because of the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, the launch was delayed once again. DC Lottery doesn’t intend to provide in-person sports betting till summer 2021.

Beth Bresnahan, the executive director DC Lottery said during a June 3 budget oversight, “The pandemic has prevented field technicians from visiting store locations to undertake fundament equipment upgrades necessary to support retail sports wagering.” He added that the lottery is working on keeping their core functions operating and contributing to the District’s General Fund.