Sports gambling in DC "entered a new phase Friday" as British bookmaker William Hill opened the district's first sportsbook at Capital One Arena, according to Rick Maese of the WASHINGTON POST. The gambling conglomerate opened a "temporary sportsbook" at the arena, making it the "first professional sports arena or stadium in the country to host a full-service sports betting operation." William Hill is "working on a permanent sportsbook," but construction was delayed by "complications related to the coronavirus pandemic." William Hill and Monumental Sports & Entertainment "wanted to get a sportsbook up and running quickly." So they "converted the arena’s ticket box office area, dormant in the absence of Wizards and Capitals games this spring, into a temporary betting site." Ticket windows "will be used to place sports wagers, and nine electronic kiosks will also be spread across the space." The sportsbook "will be open seven days a week," from 11:00am until 11:00pm ET. Capital One Arena will offer William Hill’s "full complement of wagers." Still, William Hill U.S. CEO Joe Asher said that there "probably will be an emphasis on betting lines involving DC teams and athletes" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/1).
