The Virginia Lottery has awarded FanDuel and the Washington Football Team a joint sports betting license to operate in the state, making Washington the first NFL team to receive a sports betting permit. FanDuel’s mobile sports betting app launched Thursday in Virginia.
NFL rules do not allow teams to directly provide sports betting, but teams have been permitted to sign sports betting sponsorships over the past year. The Denver Broncos were the first NFL team to sign a sports betting sponsorship in June, which was also with FanDuel.
The Washington Football Team originally partnered with FanDuel in 2014, though that deal was limited to promoting FanDuel’s daily fantasy offerings. More mobile sportbooks are expected to soon launch in Virginia, but FanDuel was able to launch first thanks to its relationship with the Football Team.
“The way the Virginia legislation is written, there is preferential treatment to the team, which is one of the reasons why we’re privileged to be the first sportsbook live in the state of Virginia,” Mike Raffensperger, chief marketing officer for FanDuel, told ESPN.
Though the WFT plays its home games in Maryland, the club is headquartered in Ashburn, Va. As the Richmond-Times Dispatch reports, the club pays $14 million a year in state taxes to Virginia and is considering building its next stadium in the state.
