Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – The District’s looking at a new way to make money: legalizing sports betting. It can do that thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling. The proposal was taken up Wednesday at a D.C. Council committee meeting.
Council member Robert White said he understands not everyone’s a fan of sports gambling, but the SCOTUS ruling means municipalities will start legalizing it. He said if people are going to spend their money betting, he prefers they spend it in the District.
Bill sponsor Jack Evans said the money spent would bring in a steady stream of new revenue for the District that would be earmarked for early childhood education programs and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
“When we have an opportunity to create a new market, a new revenue stream that really can fund early childhood development, I think that we have to act,” White said.
People in the sports gambling industry testified in favor of the proposal. Shane August with the August Holding Corporation said since the Supreme Court’s vote, entrepreneurs like him have been chomping at the bit to launch ventures in the sports and gaming industry.
“Overall we believe the legalization of sports betting is a win-win scenario for fans, sports enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, governments and municipalities,” August said.
August said the proposed regulations would provide a safe and structured environment for participants, and legalization would give money to municipalities.
Not everyone’s in favor of the proposal. Resident Marie Drissel thinks the revenue projections are unrealistic, and the revenue is regressive and would hurt the city’s poor. She also pointed to high start up costs as a reason she opposes the legislation.
D.C. native William Cunningham agreed with Drissel. He said most sports bets are bad ones, and people make them in the hopes of winning in the face of odds stacked against them.
“Betting with this type of odds is irrational. Thus the D.C. government will be in the position of promoting irrational behavior. It will be pedaling false hopes,” Cunningham said.
Keith Whyte with the National Council on Problem Gambling said his group doesn’t take a stance on legalizing sports gambling but does advocate for addiction prevention services. He told the council they would like to see some of the revenue go toward those kinds of services.
“When government legalizes, regulates and profits from gambling, they have an obligation to use some of those revenues to give back to those who are harmed,” Whyte said.
Currently, Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Mississippi and West Virginia have legalized sports betting. Others are considering following suit.
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