Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis said Wednesday he hopes there will be a sports betting location on the Capital One Arena grounds.
Its future home could be the Greene Turtle restaurant, which will close later this spring.
Leonsis’ remarks came at the American Gaming Association Sports Betting Executive Summit, Wednesday morning at National Harbor.
JUST IN: Washington Capitals & Wizards owner Ted Leonsis says Green Turtle bar inside Capital One Arena will turn into a sportsbook. Will be able to be entered from outside, on inside depending on sport. Will have operator that will create distance between team ownership. pic.twitter.com/4M6nE9vTEr
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 27, 2019
“There will be a sportsbook in the building accessible from outside, depending on the league, depending on the event, it may be accessible from the inside as well,” said Leonsis.
When reached for confirmation of the announcement, Monumental Sports had no comment.
The D.C. Council voted to legalize sports betting in February, and is expecting to take bets beginning later this year. D.C.’s bill covers MLB, MLS, the NBA, NFL and NHL, but does not contain provisions for betting on NCAA sports.
After the final Washington Wizards home game April 9, the Greene Turtle will transform into the “Shell Raiser Lounge,” a pop-up space that will remain open during the Washington Capitals’ playoff run.
Capital One Arena is among the brick and mortar stadium venues (also including Audi Field, the Entertainment & Sports Arena and Nationals Park) slated to be licensed to operate in-person sportsbooks. Eventually, there will also be a city-wide mobile app operated by the D.C. Lottery through which people can place sports bets.
