Monumental Sports & Entertainment has partnered with William Hill to build a sportsbook at Capital One Arena. MS&E owns the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL's Washington Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics, which all play at Capital One. This will be the first sportsbook to appear inside a U.S. sports venue.
The deal with British gambling operator William Hill is still pending regulatory approval, but would make William Hill the exclusive sports betting partner of the Wizards, Capitals and Mystics. William Hill already operates more than 140 sports betting retail outlets in the U.S.
The Capital One Arena sportsbook will include a two-floor bar and restaurant, and is expected to open as soon as next year. Both ticketed and non-ticketed fans will be able to access the venue on game days, and it will be open even when no event is scheduled at the arena. Fans will also be able to place wagers on the William Hill mobile app inside the arena.
“I want to make it like an Apple Genius bar,” said Monumental CEO Ted Leonsis in May. “I don’t want to make it a cocktail lounge.” Leonsis was also an early investor in DraftKings and sports data firm Sportradar.
MS&E has been a leader in embracing legalized sports betting. The company has an ownership stake in NBC Sports Washington, which began streaming alternate betting-themed broadcasts during Wizards games last season.
