Washington DC Sports Betting Delay Cost $500,000

At least one sports betting industry insider says that the delay in Washington DC sports betting cost the district as much as $500,000 in lost tax revenue by missing out on the biggest sports betting day of the year.

Other experts say it’s difficult to estimate just how much the District lost by not having sports betting ready for the Super Bowl, because those figures are based on typical annual revenues and the D.C. program’s potential isn’t yet known.

Chris Grove, a gambling industry analyst with Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, said a typical sports betting market would expect to see 3 percent of its annual revenue from the Super Bowl alone. But he added revenues “can vary dramatically depending on the teams involved.”

The DC Lottery said the contract with that provider was briefly delayed by a court challenge last fall. The most recent estimate for the launch of the District-wide app is some time in March.

You can read more about Washington DC sports betting at NBC Washington.