Virginia's "highly lucrative sports gambling market officially opened" Thursday afternoon, and FanDuel was "able to beat the other interested players to market by affiliating with the Washington Football Team," according to Michael Phillips of the RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH. Under state regulations, pro sports teams based in Virginia were "given 'substantial and preferred consideration' in opening a sports book, and were allowed to partner with an established operator to do so." The NFL team, which is based in Ashburn and pays about $14M a year in state taxes, is "considering locations for a new stadium and headquarters facility, and the gambling perk is intended to be another reminder that Virginia is interested in building the new stadium in the commonwealth." FanDuel was "able to take advantage of that provision, and get a leg up in what is projected to be a $400 million market." All sports betting "will be done on mobile devices at launch, though physical sportsbooks are expected to follow." Gambling on Virginia college sports teams is "prohibited." The operating permit "will be jointly held by FanDuel and the WFT, and while the team will promote the site, at the moment, the mobile interface remains under the FanDuel brand, with some Washington Football imagery" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 1/22).
