{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-36-621.05","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 36-621.05","heading":"Sports wagering license requirements; prohibition.","body":"(a)\n(1)\nExcept as provided in subsection (f) of this section, no individual, group of individuals, or entity may engage in an activity connected with sports wagering in the District of Columbia unless all the licenses required by this subchapter, or by regulations issued pursuant to this subchapter, have been duly obtained.\n(2)\nAn applicant convicted of a disqualifying offense shall not be licensed. The Office shall define disqualifying offenses by regulations issued pursuant to this subchapter.\n(3)\nAn applicant may apply for up to but no more than 2 sports wagering licenses unless that applicant agrees to subcontract with a joint venture or subcontract with a CBE for any additional licenses.\".\n\n(b)\n(1)\nThe Office shall issue the following sports wagering licenses:\n(A)\nOperator;\n(B)\nManagement services provider;\n(C)\nSupplier; and\n(D)\nOccupational.\n(2)\n(A)\nThe Office shall not grant any of the licenses listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection until it has determined that each individual, group of individuals, or entity that has control of the applicant has been approved for licensure in accordance with this subchapter.\n(B)\nEach Class A operator's license shall be limited to a single sports wagering facility and shall permit on-premises sports wagering at that facility and the operation of one individually branded platform offering mobile or online sports wagering.\n(C)\nFor the purposes of this paragraph, the following individuals, groups of individuals, and entities are considered to have control of an applicant:\n(i)\nAn individual, group of individuals, or entity associated with a corporate applicant, including a corporate holding company, parent company, or subsidiary company of the applicant that has the ability to control the activities of the corporate applicant or elect a majority of the board of directors of that corporation, excluding any bank or other licensed lending institution that holds a mortgage or other lien acquired in the ordinary course of business;\n(ii)\nEach individual, group of individuals, or entity associated with a non-corporate applicant that directly or indirectly holds a 5% or greater beneficial or proprietary interest in the applicant's business operation, or that the Office otherwise determines has the ability to control the applicant; and\n(iii)\nKey personnel of an applicant, such as an executive, employee, or agent having the power to exercise significant influence over decisions concerning any part of the applicant's business operation.\n\n(c)\n(1)\nAn applicant for a license or renewal of a license issued pursuant to this subchapter shall be subject to District, state, and national criminal history background checks and shall submit an application to the Office, in a form determined by the Office, for fingerprints for a national criminal records check by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation of all individuals required to be named in the application and a signed authorization of each individual submitting fingerprints for the release of information by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.\n(2)\nIn the case of an application for license renewal, the Office may require additional background checks.\n\n(d)\nProprietary information, trade secrets, financial information, or personal information about an individual in an application submitted to the Office pursuant to this subchapter shall not be a public record and shall not be made available under subchapter II of Chapter 5 of Title 2 or any other law.\n\n(e)\n(1)\n(A)\nAn operator, licensed supplier, or licensed management services provider shall display its District of Columbia license conspicuously in its sports wagering facility or conspicuously on its mobile application or online and have the license available for inspection by an employee of the Office or law enforcement agency.\n(B)\nWhen present in a sports wagering facility, an occupational licensee shall carry the license and have some indicia of licensure prominently displayed on his or her person.\n(2)\nAn individual, group of individuals, or entity licensed pursuant to this subchapter shall provide the Office written notice of a change to any information provided in the application for a license or renewal of a license within 10 days of the change.\n\n(f)\nNo Office employee may be an applicant for or obtain a license issued pursuant to [this subchapter].\n\n(g)\nThe Office shall only issue an operator license or management services provider license if the applicant:\n(1)\nIn conjunction with its application for license, submits to the DSLBD for approval, a CBE plan that demonstrates that at least 35% of the applicant's operating budget will be contracted with one or more CBEs. The CBE plan shall include:\n(A)\nThe name and address of each contractor;\n(B)\nA current certification for the CBE;\n(C)\nThe scope of work to be performed by each contractor that shall be for a commercially useful function related to sports wagering;\n(D)\nThe price to be paid by the beneficiary to each contractor; and\n(E)\nThe length of the contract;\n(2)\nIs a certified joint venture pursuant to the CBE act, where the joint venture has a CBE majority interest, and is also certified as either a SBE, DBE, or ROB; or\n(3)\nObtains a waiver from DSLBD of the contracting or joint venture requirements of the CBE act; provided, that if DSLBD neither approves nor denies the request for waiver within 30 days after the submission of the request, the waiver shall be deemed approved as a matter of law.\n\n(h)\n(1)\nA license issued under this section shall not be transferred or assigned except as provided under § 36-621.06.\n(2)\nA licensee that is an entity shall apply for a new license no later than 3 days after its acquisition, merger, or other change of control (as defined in regulation), in which case the applicant may temporarily operate under the prior license until the approval or denial of the application for the new license.","path":["Title 36. Trade Practices.","Chapter 6. Lottery, Gaming, and Sports Wagering.","Subchapter II. Sports Wagering."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/36-621.05","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"db9f536b0e56e670216585113a56b3fc5f97ddfa59e0c5f3f3edc513db05c63e","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-36-621.04","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-36-621.06"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}