§ 36–621.02. Rules and regulations governing conduct of sports wagering.

(a) To ensure fair and honest play in sports wagering and to protect the economic welfare and interests of the District and participants of sports wagering, the CFO, or delegate, shall adopt rules and regulations governing the conduct of sports wagering, which shall include the following:

(1) Acceptance of wagers on a sports event or a series of sports events;

(2) Maximum wagers that may be accepted by an operator from any one individual or on a sports event;

(3) Type of wagering tickets that may be used;

(4) Method of issuing tickets;

(5) Method of accounting to be used by an operator;

(6) Requirements relating to how fees and taxes are to be remitted, including whether the fees and taxes shall be required to be remitted electronically;

(7) Methods of age verification;

(8) Posting of house rules;

(9) Player exclusion requirements;

(10) Facilities to be used by operators;

(11) Types of records that shall be required to be maintained;

(12) Use of credit and checks;

(13) Type of system for sports wagering;

(14) Protections for an individual placing a wager;

(15) Requirements for training the employees of an operator concerning compulsive and problem gambling, and for displaying on an operator's website and sports wagering facility information about available programs to prevent, treat, or monitor compulsive or problem gambling;

(16) Advertising guidelines, including specific language concerning minors; and

(17) Reporting of the sources of data that operators use to resolve sports wagers.

(b)(1) The Office shall establish internal control standards for the administration of sports wagering, sports wagering equipment and systems, or other items used to conduct sports wagering, as well as maintenance of financial records and other required records.

(2) The Office shall solicit input from the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on suggestions for regulations to minimize underage drinking and sports wagering by visibly intoxicated patrons at a designated sports wagering facility.

(c) Sports wagering shall occur only over mobile or online applications or in the specific locations within a designated sports wagering facility that have been approved by the Office; provided, that the applications or locations may be modified or relocated pursuant to regulation.

(d) Mobile or online sports wagering shall be operated only by a Class A sports wagering operator or its management services provider or a Class C sports wagering operator or its management services provider and the licensees shall accept only mobile or online sports wagers from persons physically located in the District of Columbia.

(e) Consistent with the intent of the United States Congress as articulated in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, approved October 13, 2006 (120 Stat. 1952; 31 U.S.C. § 5361 et seq.), the intermediate routing of electronic data relating sports wagering authorized under this title shall not determine the location or locations in which such wagers are initiated and received.".

(f) A Class A sports wagering operator or its management services provider, or a Class C sports wagering operator or its management services provider, shall be permitted to begin offering mobile or online sports betting to persons physically located in the District of Columbia as of July 15, 2024; provided, that it holds a license or temporary license. Such operator or provider shall be permitted to offer a mobile sports wagering platform and wagering markets consistent with those it offers in another jurisdiction in which it is licensed in the United States.

(Mar. 10, 1981, D.C. Law 3-172, § 302; as added May 3, 2019, D.C. Law 22-312, § 2(e), 66 DCR 1402; Mar. 22, 2023, D.C. Law 24-332, § 6(a), 70 DCR 1582; July 15, 2024, D.C. Act 25-506, § 7172(b), 71 DCR 8406.)

Applicability

Applicability of D.C. Law 22-312: § 7177 of D.C. Law 23-16 amended § 5(a) of D.C. Law 22-312 to repeal the delayed applicability affecting this section. Therefore the creation of this section by D.C. Law 22-312 has been implemented.

Section 7177 of the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Emergency Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-91) amended § 5 of D.C. Law 22-312 removing the applicability restriction impacting this section. Therefore the amendment of this section by D.C. Law 22-312 has been given effect.

Applicability of D.C. Law 22-312: § 5 of D.C. Law 22-312 provided that the creation of this section by § 2(e) of D.C. Law 22-312 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 2(e) of the Sports Wagering Lottery Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 23-43, Apr. 15, 2019, 66 DCR 5273).

For temporary (90 days) creation of this section, see § 2(e) of the Sports Wagering Lottery Emergency Amendment Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 22-630, Jan. 30, 2019, 66 DCR 1745).

Editor's Notes

Section 4 of D.C. Law 22-312 provided that the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia, pursuant to § 1-204.24d, shall issue rules to implement the provisions of D.C. Law 22-312.