The D.C. Lottery launched its retail program on July 30, 2021, at four popular District sports bars: Dirty Water, Ben’s Next Door, Lou’s City Bar and Takoma Station. People 18 and older can use the machines to place sports bets and cash in their wins at any kiosk in the city.

Winners are not the only people to benefit from the kiosks. Revenue from the machines goes to the D.C. General Fund, which funds infrastructure, education and more in the District. Businesses housing the machines also make a five percent commission off of sales, which is a big help as businesses recover from the pandemic.

“I like to say that each of these locations has their own sportsbook that happens to be run by us in the background. Our tag line is ‘Bet on D.C.’ and it is a bet on D.C., but it’s also a bet on our community,” Nicole Jordan, the Director of Marketing and Communications with the D.C. Lottery, said.

In addition to making some extra money, the kiosks bring something extra to the experience as people watch their favorite teams play. “We want to provide the best sports watch experience. We’ve got a ton of TVs. We do lots of drink deals, a lot with Budlight, but adding the sports gaming is a next-level venture,” Chris Defelice, the Owner of Dirty Water, explained.

He said the kiosks complete the experience.
The four retail locations are just the beginning of the Gambet D.C. retail program. As it grows, people will see more kiosks popping up in other locations, including convenience stores. D.C. Lottery hopes to eventually have it work like the lottery system, where customers fill out bet slips and hand them to cashiers.