DC Council Hears Pros and Cons of Adding iGaming to District’s Online Gaming Market

Posted on: May 5, 2026, 08:05h. 

Last updated on: May 5, 2026, 08:05h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • DC is considering legislation to authorize iGaming
  • The nation’s capital is currently home to online sports betting

The Council of the District of Columbia on Monday heard testimony regarding the economic and societal impacts of legalizing iGaming, or online casinos with slot machines and interactive table games.

Washington DC iGaming online casinos
The cherry blossoms are pictured in full bloom on the National Mall, with the Washington Monument, in Washington, DC. A city councilor in the nation’s capital has proposed legalizing iGaming in the District. (Image: Shutterstock)

The DC Council’s Committee on Human Services hosted a public hearing on B26-0656.  Introduced last month by Councilmember Wendell Felder (D-Ward 7), the “Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026” proposes regulating and taxing online casino websites and apps.

Felder reasons that online casinos are already widely accessible within the nation’s capital through offshore platforms and controversial sweepstakes casinos. Felder’s bill would allow iGaming companies like DraftKings and FanDuel to pursue online casino privileges, while banning the dual-currency sweepstakes model.

During the Monday gathering, which ran over four hours, councilors heard testimony from both sides of the iGaming issue.

Opposition Speaks Up

There were plenty of critics of Felder’s motion to legalize iGaming within DC.

Bernie Horn, an advisory neighborhood commissioner and longtime opponent of gambling, who formerly worked as a policy advisor at the National Coalition Against Gaming Expansion, which is today called Stop Predatory Gambling, advised the council to reject iGaming. Horn opined that legalizing casino websites does nothing to prevent current illegal offshore gambling products from continuing to be accessible.

“It’s not going to move anyone from the illegal sites to the legal ones. It’s just going to create more gamblers,” Horn declared.

Les Bernal, the director of Stop Predatory Gambling, said the American Gaming Association created a false narrative several years ago to encourage US states to legalize online sports betting and iGaming to rid black market operators and protect consumers.

The narrative behind illegal gambling was a made-up public relations narrative by the gambling industry, and the reason why they needed to do it is because your constituents weren’t demanding commercial sports gambling. They sure as heck aren’t demanding online casino gambling,” Bernal said. “They had to create this phony public relations narrative to breathe life into a lobbying campaign.”

Bernal concluded that online gambling is a “con” for the public, claiming that only one in 100 gamblers wins in the long-term.

The National Association Against iGaming, whose members include Churchill Downs and The Cordish Companies, which runs Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, additionally testified against online casino gambling in DC. NAAiG believes iGaming hurts brick-and-mortar casino revenue and is a net negative on society. 

Legalize and Tax

Proponents of legalizing iGaming countered that the District can better protect consumers who are gambling on offshore casino websites and reap tax revenue at the same time.

Matt Scalf, the senior government affairs manager for DraftKings, said it’s a “natural next step” following DC’s 2024 modernization of online sports betting that welcomed additional apps to compete with the DC Lottery’s sportsbook.

Michelle McGregor, of the Sports Betting Alliance, a 15-year resident of DC, said she’s witnessed firsthand how the District deploys new tax dollars that benefit various communities and create new opportunities. McGregor also took issue with Horn’s belief that regulated gaming doesn’t attract players from illegal operations.

The regulated market is largely comprised of individuals who are either seeking out legal iGaming in other jurisdictions or were operating in the illegal market, meaning legalizing iGaming does indeed help migrate consumers to a regulated market,” McGregor said.

She added that converting consumers to regulated gaming is a sound public policy decision that better protects players, whether it be fair play or responsible gaming safeguards.