Capital One Arena Opens 20,000 Square Foot Sportsbook

Published on May 28th, 2021 12:44 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


Earlier this week, Ted Leonsis, along with other executives of Monumental Sports (owners of Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals) and executives from William Hill, cut the ribbon on a new sportsbook.

This wasn't just any sportsbook, however - it was the first sportsbook to open INSIDE of a sports arena in the United States or Canada.

The 20,000 square foot space, which is leased by William Hill, will allow fans and gamblers to place bets without having to leave the arena.

As of now, Washington Wizards ticket holders can place bets without leaving the arena. It is expected that the NHL will give the OK for the Capitals to allow the same thing in short order.

This is the first of in-arena sportsbooks in North America, though it surely won't be the last.

-

This is an amazing leap forward for sports betting in the United States.

It wasn't long ago that all four of the major North American sports leagues - the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL - were all opposed to legal sports betting in the United States, mainly citing worries about the integrity of the game.

These leagues weren't just opposed - they were actively opposed.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was the first to thaw the ice in regards to legal sports betting, as he came out in support of it shortly after the start of his term as Commissioner.

Legal sports betting would be an important new revenue stream for his league, he said, and it should be embraced.

The other leagues soon fell into line, and now the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL are all lining their pockets with money from gambling sponsorship deals and lucrative new revenue streams.

-

In the end, this was all about the money.

Now that the leagues have seen the money, the sports betting genie will never go back into the bottle.

Source: Washington Post - Capital One Arena Just Knocked Down the Final Wall Between Gambling and U.S. Pro Sports