Gambling in Washington DC: The Best Washington Gambling Sites for 2026
By Todd Winkler,Editor at online-gambling.com
Todd Winkler
Editor at online-gambling.com | Gambling | Legal Since |
|---|---|
| Sports | Legal since: 2019 |
| Daily Fantasy | Legal since: 2016 |
| Casino | Illegal |
| Poker | Illegal |
| Lottery | Legal since: 1982 |
Washington DC Daily Fantasy Sports
Currently, no laws have been passed formally legalizing daily fantasy sports in Washington DC. However, there have been no bills or judgements that prohibit paid fantasy sports either. This means that residents of the District of Columbia can play at any of the big-name sites with no worries about the legality of it. Said in other words, Washington D.C. daily fantasy betting awaits you, together with California daily fantasy sports and many, many other states as well.
- We have deep understanding of the federal and local laws that govern the gambling industry in Washington DC and make sure to keep up with every update published by the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming, the District’s regulator.
- We follow all of the gambling stories relating to the District of Columbia published in major and local media like Washinton Top News and the Washington Post.
- We write free gambling guides, using our many years of combined experience in the industry. We are currently updating a detailed guide for online gambling in the US.
Gambling Laws in Washington DC
In general, gambling is pretty restricted in the nation’s capital. Although it is not a state, it operates under laws passed by a council, with a large proportion of the laws being influenced by the Federal Government’s stance on issues. Sports betting, the lottery and daily fantasy sports are all legal in the District, and all three can be played online. Casino games and poker are not: no bill has legalized either, online or in person. Read on for what is and is not on the table.
There are no casinos or racetracks inside the District, so anyone who wants slots or table games still has to cross into Maryland. What you can do from home is bet on sports, buy lottery tickets and enter paid fantasy contests. Below is the position on each.
Washington DC Sports Betting
Sports betting is legal and live in the District. The Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 opened the market and the first retail books took bets in 2019. For years the DC Lottery ran a single citywide app, GambetDC, which closed in April 2024 when FanDuel took over that contract. A Class B licensing change later that year ended the one-app model, and FanDuel, BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars and Fanatics all now take bets anywhere in the District. The Office of Lottery and Gaming licenses and regulates every one of them. For operator-by-operator detail, see our page on Washington DC sports betting.
Washington DC Online Casinos
Unlike sports betting, the law surrounding casino gambling in Washington DC is straightforward. All casino betting, whether online or land-based, is illegal. Unfortunately for players, there seems to be no political will to change this in the future, so your best bet is to cross the border to a more liberal state or head up to Atlantic City. Before you do that, you might want to check out our Washington DC casino guide!
Washington DC Online Poker
Online poker in Washington DC falls under the same rules as online casino. This means that, currently, there are no legal poker rooms in the District of Columbia. There aren’t even any land-based establishments, so you will have to leave the district if you want to play this game for money.
Washington DC Lottery
The DC Lottery was set up in 1982, following on the back of many different charitable lotteries being set up across the nation. There are a range of different games that players can choose from, and since DC iLottery launched in December 2020 you can buy tickets and play e-instants online as well as over the counter at a registered retailer. You can find out more on the official website. Furthermore, you can read more information at our page about Washingtong DC lottery.
Top Lottery App
History of Gambling in Washington DC
Gambling in the District was held on a tight rein for most of its history, then moved quickly: sports betting arrived in 2019 and the lottery went online in 2020. You can see all the major changes throughout the years, below.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1982 | The DC Lottery is founded, following the legalization of a lottery in the district. |
| 2011 | An attempt to pass a bill legalizing online poker and casinos is overturned by Congress. |
| 2012 | A bill intending to allow online lottery sales is defeated. |
| 2016 | Daily Fantasy Sports sites begin operating in DC, arguing that they are games of skill. |
| 2018 | A bill is passed allowing for the legalization of sports betting in the district, facilitated and run by the DC Lottery. |
| 2019 | The first retail sportsbooks open in the District. |
| 2020 | DC iLottery launches, taking lottery sales online for the first time. |
| 2024 | GambetDC closes and FanDuel takes over the citywide contract; a Class B licensing change then opens the market to competing apps. |
Washington DC State Facts
As our nation’s capital, most people should be fairly familiar with Washington DC. However, just in case, I’ve compiled a few facts and pieces of trivia about the district. Did you know, for example, that the city has no “J” Street (the streets are lettered rather than numbered), because the city layout of Washington was planned before the letter was commonly used in the English language. The city is also home to the largest library in the world: The Library of Congress.
| Population | 693,972 |
|---|---|
| Min. Income | $1,256.67 |
| Biggest Offline Gambling Location | Capital One Arena sportsbook |
| Gambling Commissioner | Office of Lottery and Gaming |
| Spoken Languages | English 85%, Spanish 7.46% |
| Biggest Local Sports Team | Washington Commanders |
| Washington DC Tax Authority | Office of Tax and Revenue |
| Link to the State Law | https://dc.gov/page/laws-regulations-and-courts |
| Gambling Winning Tax | Federal Only |
| State Website Link | https://dc.gov/ |
| Famous Local Gamblers | None |
Gambling Age in Washington DC
Two different ages apply in the District. You must be 18 to buy a lottery ticket and 21 to place a sports bet. As with the rest of the country, you have to be 21 or over to buy or drink alcohol. The complicated minimum age here is for cannabis use. Although you can now legally possess up to 2g of cannabis once you are 21, the sale or purchase of the drug remains illegal for everyone, no matter what age you are.
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Online Gambling Age:
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Alcohol Age
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Weed Age
Responsible Gambling and Addiction Prevention
Lots of people struggle with gambling addiction, and now that sports betting is live district-wide the risk is easier to reach. Every licensed DC sportsbook has to offer deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion in its account settings, so the first step is often to set one. If you need to talk to someone, the national helpline 1-800-GAMBLER runs 24/7, and the National Council on Problem Gambling lists the treatment and counseling services available in the District.
Upcoming Regulation and Expected Changes
With sports betting and the lottery both settled, the open question in the District is online casino and poker. Neither has a bill in front of the Council, and Congress keeps a review power over District legislation that has stopped iGaming here before: an attempt to legalize online poker and casino games was overturned in 2011. Until that changes, DC players who want slots or table games have to travel, and West Virginia is the nearest state with legal online casinos.