DC Attorney General Demands Documents from GameBetDC Operator

Months after ditching GameBetDC, the nation’s capital has some questions for their former operator.

According to a Washington City Paper, the district’s Attorney General Brian Schwalb has opened an investigation into Intralot. The company operated the district’s ill-fated GameBetDC online sportsbook and ran their lottery. While Schwalb’s office has not commented or confirmed the investigation, they did demand certain documents from Intralot.

The request is reported to be part of a previously unknown ongoing investigation.

GameBetDC Sportsbook Cost DC Millions

Intralot’s GameBetDC platform was initially the lone operator in the district when sports betting was legalized. The platform was an unmitigated disaster, offering poor odds and a bad user experience. Bettors got sick of dealing with the now-defunct sportsbook, leading to revenue numbers that were far below projections.

GameBetDC has been criticized since its launch, but things got worse when the app failed on Super Bowl Sunday in 2022, one of the biggest betting days of the year. That led to an uproar from several legislatures calling for a change, which eventually happened earlier this year.

The district initially replaced GameBetDC with the industry-leading FanDuel Sportsbook. Revenue numbers immediately spiked, putting them on pace to easily surpass the projections GameBetDC failed to meet.

Intralot May Not be the Target of Investigation

While the Attorney General is demanding documents from Intralot, it is possible that they are investigating a former subcontractor, Veterans Services Corporation (VSC). A 2019 Washington Post report alleges that the company was not doing the work promised and that it had no employees aside from its CEO.

The Post report raises questions about who was ultimately responsible for GameBetDC's failure. Given that VSC is linked to other failing sportsbooks, it is more than possible that they are the target of the investigation.

DC Market Continues to Expand

While the district promised FanDuel it would have sole control of the market, that is no longer the case. Just a couple of months after the sportsbook launched, the D.C. legislature voted to open up more sports betting licenses. Since then, DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM have gone live in the district.

FanDuel has repeatedly expressed disappointment over the decision, citing the promise to be the lone online sportsbook.