The budget still needs approval by Mayor Bowser, who has shown support for the measures
The District of Columbia is one step closer to expanding its legal gambling offerings. The DC Council has approved the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which includes language to legalize several new types of gambling, including blackjack, poker, additional lottery games, charitable gaming, and sports betting.
Monday’s Council session, which started late and lasted over six hours, ended without any changes to the gaming-related provisions originally proposed by Mayor Muriel Bowser. Though there were expectations that an amendment might be introduced to remove those parts of the bill, no such move occurred.
Mayor Bowser’s initial budget proposal included a push to update the city’s gaming laws, arguing that modernizing the framework could help generate new revenue streams. While sports betting is already legal in DC, traditional card games like blackjack and poker have remained prohibited.
One unexpected topic of discussion during the meeting was the Statute of Anne, a centuries-old law from 18th-century England. The statute, which permits a gambler who loses money to sue the winner to recover losses, still exists in some American legal systems. Though it hasn’t been a factor in DC gambling law historically, recent updates to digital sports betting rules have brought renewed attention to older legal codes and how they might apply in the current landscape.
Despite the Council’s approval, legal uncertainties remain. Federal laws could still impact the rollout of certain gaming formats, especially electronic versions of poker and bingo. The Office of Lottery and Gaming, which would oversee the new operations, has acknowledged that some forms of card gaming remain federally restricted.
With the budget now awaiting Mayor Bowser’s signature—which is widely expected—the next step will involve legal reviews and regulatory planning. There’s no clear timeline yet for when these new games might go live, but implementation will depend on resolving potential legal and compliance challenges.
