D.C. could soon get more into the gambling game as Mayor Muriel Bowser proposes allowing commercial bingo, poker and blackjack tournaments in the city as part of her growth agenda.
“Our initial, kind of, thinking around the (poker and blackjack) tournaments is that we will open them up to our hotel properties,” Bowser said during the introduction of her proposed budget on Tuesday. “Our initial thinking around the commercial bingo is that we would open them up to restaurants.”
“I think it’s an interesting expansion in gaming law in the District,” said attorney Ian Thomas, who specializes in gaming law. “You see a lot of different jurisdictions using gambling and gaming as a means to increase revenues.”
The mayor, in her 2026 budget, is proposing making two-year licenses available from the Office of Lottery and Gaming for a $5,000 application fee in addition to a $2,000 charge for every location a company will have card games like poker and blackjack.
“There are often times where gaming licenses are extraordinarily expensive,” Thomas said. “Hundreds of thousands of dollars, and millions of dollars, in some cases. And here, with application fees being relatively low — $5,000 — the affordability leads me to believe that there is some contemplation here that small or midsized local businesses may be able to take advantage of this sort of new offering in D.C.,” Thomas said.
A 25% tax will be placed on gross gaming revenue: the amount of money businesses bring in through bets, minus what they pay out to players.
Cash prizes for bingo games will cost less than the card games, with the mayor’s office proposing a $300 endorsement for businesses and a 7.5% tax on gross receipts.
The proposal will cost $249,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $1 million over the full length of the plan, which goes through 2029.
Hiring new employees for the bingo system is also expected to cost the city an additional $249,000.
Thomas said other cities have seen success increasing revenue through gaming. The city already allows sports betting, but D.C. will need to set up a new physical and regulatory infrastructure for these other types of gambling.
“It will be an in-person option, and that, obviously, is a little bit different in terms of how it’s regulated, how it’s licensed, and the type of oversight that needs to be given,” Thomas said.
Thomas said for businesses that would want to provide the games, it’s not always easy to get started due to the security needs and financial protocols that need to be in place.
“There’s going to be a lot of heavy lifting on the front end,” Thomas said.
Thomas said the other hurdle is selling the community on the plan, which he said means showing that proper “guardrails” are in place and proving the games would be beneficial to the community.
Thomas said while they may seem “scary,” the compliance steps that need to be taken to be compliant for businesses would not be “insurmountable.”
Thomas said one element not in the 2026 budget, which he believes should be added, is money for “problem gambling,” which was left out of the 2024 budget but did appear in the 2025 spending plan. The money goes toward preventing and helping those struggling with a gambling addiction.
“I would hope that if we’re going to expand the scope of gambling, that consideration is given to maybe putting some of that money back in the budget to deal with, or to offset, some of the issues that come with legalizing and expanding this industry,” Thomas said.
WTOP reached out to the mayor’s office for comment about “problem gambling” not being included in her proposed budget, and received a statement from the city’s Department of Behavioral Health that said “treatment and support services for problem gambling disorder” are available through the department and for residents with private insurance plans.
The D.C. Council still needs to debate and approve the final budget by August.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
