Major League Soccer has taken a big step forward in legal sports betting, with today marking the official opening of FanDuel's state-of-the-art retail sportsbook at Audi Field — home to the league's DC United team in Washington, D.C.
FanDuel is the first sportsbook to set up shop at an MLS stadium, bringing the soccer league into line with the NFL, NBA, and NHL, which are all expected to continue rolling out on-site betting facilities in partnership with the major operators anxious to expand their market presence.
"Located just inside Gate A, the FanDuel Sportsbook stretches over 2,700 square feet and features three wagering stations, 47 HD televisions, two large video walls, 18 self-service kiosks, and an uninterrupted view of the field for fans to enjoy D.C. United matches and other sporting events," a press release from the team said.
Friday's opening follows FanDuel's launch of retail outlets at the Footprint Center in Phoenix (home to the NBA's Phoenix Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury) last September, with a likely next location being a sportsbook at the United Center — home to the Chicago Bulls (NBA) and Chicago Blackhawks (NHL).
D.C. sports betting within an arena was set in motion when D.C. City Council passed legislation in 2018 that legalized online wagering, becoming the first legislative body to allow for in-stadium sportsbooks — as well as allowing sportsbooks to introduce on-site betting in professional sporting venues.
Caesars (then William Hill) was first out of the gate when it opened its sportsbook at Capital One Arena in August 2020, followed by BetMGM launching its on-site betting shop at Nationals Park in January 2022. The arrival of FanDuel at Audi Field thus completes a trifecta of stadium gaming services in the nation's capital.
No mobile betting at Audi Field for the foreseeable future
Curiously, however, FanDuel has decided not to allow for mobile betting at Audi Field.
Unlike the Capital One Arena and Nationals Park sportsbooks, FanDuel reportedly has decided to only operate with retail sports betting at the moment, with "no timetable" for mobile sports betting in the state.
The current setup in the state allows GambetDC, an extension of the DC Lottery, to offer district-wide mobile sports betting. Other operators, such as Caesars, BetMGM, and FanDuel, can offer mobile sports betting apps district-wide at a 20% tax rate — or stick to a strict two-block radius from the actual retail outlet and pay a lesser 10% tax.
Audi Field and Nationals Park are a six-minute walk apart, well within the two-block radius, which opens up a unique situation where bettors at Audi Field can bet on a mobile app... courtesy of BetMGM instead of FanDuel.
Significant sportsbook potential for MLS
Online betting has exploded in the U.S. ever since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed all 50 states and the District of Columbia to legalize sports betting. But unlike the other major pro sports leagues, MLS has been slow to jump on the bandwagon of in-stadium betting, which is still in its infancy.
However, on-site wagering at sports arenas is routine in the UK, where the English Premier League has long offered punters a chance to bet on matches. Further, both online and retail wagering are commonplace in much of Europe where football is by far the dominant sport.
Still, despite the precedent set by the FanDuel sportsbook at Audi Field, MLS faces multiple barriers to entry with respect to cashing in on stadium-based betting.
A June 30 report in Forbes notes that MLS has deliberately entered major urban markets where there are fewer pro sports teams operating relative to the population. This business strategy may make sense with respect to avoiding competition with NFL, NBA, and NHL, but "it coincidentally leads to less markets with legal betting."
Forbes noted that of the 28 current MLS teams, roughly half operate in states where sports betting is still not legalized, while three other clubs — the Portland Timbers (Oregon), Vancouver Whitecaps (British Columbia), and CF Montreal (Quebec) — are located in states/provinces that have one exclusive operator running sports betting, "leaving little incentive for that operator to try and grow its brand through paying for partnerships with clubs and stadiums or arenas."
The FanDuel launch may well give a jolt to other sportsbooks to explore deeper partnerships (and possible retail outlets) with other MLS clubs.
In 2019, MLS announced a multi-year strategic partnership with MGM Resorts International that made MGM Resorts the league’s first official gaming partner, while PointsBet was announced as a founding partner for Austin FC's inaugural season in 2021.
