A new player has entered the DC sports betting market.
Newgioco, a sports betting technology supplier, is poised to enter the Washington DC market through a partnership with the sports bar chain, Handle 19.
Handle 19 is a new US sports betting company created by entrepreneur Shane August and his company, August Holding Corporation.
What’s covered in the deal?
Under the agreement, Newgioco will supply the Handle 19 chain with its ELYS platform, which will be used to power land-based and online sports betting operations in DC.
According to a report from the Washington Business Journal, Handle 19 will apply for a Class B sports betting license once the DC Lottery begins accepting license applications.
August said: “After an exhaustive competitive analysis of several betting platform providers, we are very pleased to have selected Newgioco to partner with for our planned sports betting operations.
“A key factor in our decision came down to the fact that the ELYS platform was developed in a fully regulated market and has both online and land-based functionality, giving us a comprehensive tool and the know-how of the Newgioco team to work closely with regulators to help shape the DC sports betting market for years to come.”
Michele Ciavarella, Chief Executive of Newgioco, said: “We believe that our background and experience in the tightly regulated Italian market will be highly beneficial in pioneering the sports betting market in the District of Columbia.
“We aspire to build our business in the US sports betting market by fostering strong, long-term partnerships with both tribal and non-tribal operators such as Handle 19 in real-money betting and loyalty based free-to-play programs for non-licensed establishments as the market continues to rapidly evolve across the nation.”
Sports betting in DC
Earlier this year, Washington DC’s mayor signed the proposed sports betting bill into law. Under the district’s sports betting law, bettors will be able to place bets via an online app run by the DC Lottery, at select sporting venues and at licensed bars.
The creation of the DC Lottery’s sports betting app has been surrounded in controversy after the council voted to skip the standard bidding process and grant the district’s sports betting contract to Intralot.
At the moment, a court case threatens to derail the launch of sports betting in DC. Judge Joan Zeldon issued an immediate order for Washington DC to cease all payments to Intralot. The order has since been extended until the companies appear in court on October 18.
While the launch of sports betting in DC has been bought to a standstill, a handful of companies are making preparations for the eventual launch of sports betting in the district.
Last week, William Hill announced a deal with Monumental Sports & Entertainment which will see a William Hill sportsbook constructed inside the Capital One Arena in Washington DC.
