The William Hill US division and Monumental Sports & Entertainment have announced details of a new partnership that will see the first sportsbook open inside a professional sports venue in the US.
Subject to regulatory approvals, a new William Hill sportsbook will open at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., a venue owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment and is home to Monumental’s Washington Wizards NBA team, Washington Capitals NHL franchise and Washington Mystics WNBA outfit.
The sportsbook would feature premium sports betting facilities, span multiple floors and remain open daily, including on game days and both event and non-event days at the arena. Fans will also be able to bet on the William Hill mobile app while inside the arena.
In addition, the agreement will now see William Hill serve as the exclusive sports betting partner of the Wizards, Capitals and Mystics.
“We are excited to partner with William Hill, the industry leader in sports betting, to become the first professional sports arena in the US to feature a sportsbook,” Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s founder, chairman and chief executive, Ted Leonsis, said.
“Through this partnership, we are thrilled to enhance the fan experience with innovative gaming opportunities and transformational dining and culinary options not just on event days, but year-round. Our partnership with William Hill compliments our vision of making our arena the premier sports and entertainment destination in Washington, D.C.”
William Hill US CEO, Joe Asher, added: “This sportsbook will be a flagship venue for the industry and will serve the sports fans of the Washington D.C. area unlike any other.
“Partnering with Ted Leonsis and the entire Monumental team was ideal. They share our vision and principles for bringing innovative sports betting opportunities to fans in a responsible way.
“This deal sets a new benchmark for how the industry will serve fans and how fans engage in sports.”
Sports betting is not yet legal in Washington D.C., and the launch of a regulated market was last month delayed following a court ruling to temporarily suspend Greek lottery operator Intralot’s contract to operate lottery services and sports betting in the district.
In its ruling, the Washington D.C court ruling indicated that there is “substantial likelihood” that a lawsuit alleging the deal violates federal law succeeds.
Mobile app developer Dylan Carragher filed the lawsuit against the District, arguing the deal violates the Home Rule Act that established the powers of Washington D.C.
Carragher — who has created a sports betting app of his own — argues that the no-bid nature of the Intralot deal “ultimately violates DC citizens’ rights to receive fair and competitive prices for the contractual services provided to the government.”
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in January approved the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act after the D.C. City Council also voted to approve the Act in December.
This week, William Hill also secured a deal to become an official partner and authorised sports betting operator of the NBA in the US.