The Week In Sports Betting: VT, DC, MI, More Letters!

It’s information overload everywhere, and there’s not time enough to sleep and eat and stay fully apprised of what’s happening on this crazy blue dot of ours (two out of three ain’t bad).

Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top stories and rounding up key stories in the world (and industry) of legal U.S. sports betting. You may have missed them, and they are worth reading.

Vermont Governor backs sports wagering effort

Vermont Governor Phil Scott became the latest in a line of governors to call for legal sports betting in his state. Last year, four governors — in Massachusetts, Illinois, New Hampshire and Connecticut — all raised the matter in their State of the State addresses, but only two of them saw their states join the growing ranks. New Hampshire legalized sports betting in July 2019 and DraftKings launched its mobile sportbook there on Dec. 31, 2019. Illinois legalized in June, but is still in the application and rule-making process.

In his address earlier this week, Scott suggested a framework similar to neighboring New Hampshire, which legalized state-wide mobile and retail sports betting at up to 10 locations. Yet in implementing its new law, New Hampshire gave mobile and retail monopolies to DraftKings, and Intralot will run the lottery’s own offering. In Vermont, Scott is pitching what appears to be a mobile-only approach, according to the Burlington Free Press. Scott’s budget projects $2 million in state revenue from sports betting.

So far, New Hampshire and Rhode Island are the only two New England states to have legalized sports betting. In Maine, the state legislature is currently considering overriding the gubernatorial veto on sports betting, while lawmakers in Connecticut in Massachusetts have not been able to come to a consensus on the issue.

Earlier this month, first-term Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said his state is being “left behind” on sports betting. HB 137, which would legalize state-wide mobile and retail sports betting at select locations, is working its way through the House.

Still only one D.C. sports betting applicant

Since the D.C. Lottery opened its sports betting application process a few weeks ago, American Wagering, Inc. remains the only potential operator to have applied. American Wagering, which is owned by William Hill, would operate sports betting at Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Wizards and Capitals. The in-arena sportsbook will likely be the first of its kind.

According to the D.C. Lottery, the Class A application was filed on Dec. 23, 2019, and remains under review. The Lottery updates its site weekly with new applicants. The District legalized sports betting more than a year ago, and will allow mobile and retail sports betting. It was the first U.S. jurisdiction to make it legal to have a sportsbook at a professional venue, and it’s likely that all of Washington’s eligible sports stadiums will take advantage. Beyond that, the D.C. Lottery will run mobile sports betting throughout the city, and individual bars and restaurants can apply for a Class B license to have on-site sports betting.

Elsewhere, nearby, Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is angling to bring a sportsbook venue to a new Maryland stadium. FedExField in Landover, Maryland, has served as the team’s home since 1997.