Where it's legal to bet in the DMV

The rules for sportsbooks, pick'em apps and prediction markets in DC, Maryland and Virginia, with the regulators and help lines for each.

DC, Maryland and Virginia

As of 2026-10-04

DC Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG)

District of Columbia

Sports betting: Legal, since 2019-05-03. Mobile: yes. Minimum age 18.

Mobile sportsbooks: Caesars Sportsbook (American Wagering Inc.) - Standard Class A, Capital One Arena, district-wide, FanDuel (Betfair Interactive US) - Standard Class A, Audi Field, district-wide, BetMGM - Standard Class A, Nationals Park, district-wide, DraftKings (Crown DC Gaming, LLC) - Temporary Class C, district-wide, approved 2024-07-25, Fanatics (FBG Enterprises Opco, LLC) - Temporary Class C, district-wide, approved 2024-09-06

'since' is the law's effective date; the first-bet date was not verified. Law: Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 (D.C. Law 22-312, Council vote 11-2 on 2018-12-18, effective 2019-05-03). Operator list is OLG's 'Approved Sports Wagering Licenses' Rev. 04.30.26, the newest file linked from dclottery.com/olg/approved-licenses on 2026-10-03; several expiration dates on it read 'extended'. FanDuel replaced the Lottery's own GambetDC platform in 2024 (OLG release 2024-03-09). theScore Bet and bet365 appear on some media lists for DC but are NOT on the OLG list: treat as unverified. Legal age is 18 in DC, but some operator affiliate programs only pay on customers 21+ (e.g., Caesars).

Pick'em (PrizePicks, Underdog): unsettled. No DC fantasy-contest licensing law was found (D.C. Code Title 36, Chapter 6 covers only lotteries/gambling, sports wagering and skill machines). D.C. Code 36-601.01(17) defines 'sports wagering' to include wagers on an athlete's individual performance statistics and excludes only fantasy contests with at least 2 natural-person participants in which the operator is not a participant and no winning outcome rests solely on one athlete's performance or one team's score/spread. House-banked pick'em does not fit that exclusion, but no OLG enforcement against pick'em apps was found. PrizePicks (eligibility page updated 2026-09-14) offers Player Picks (lineups scored against other users) and Culture Picks in DC at 18+, but not Team Picks. Underdog's DC availability could not be verified (its help center blocks automated access).

Prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket): unsettled. No DC regulator or DC Attorney General action against Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood or Crypto.com was found (OLG and OAG newsrooms checked 2026-10-03). CBS Sports (2026-10-02) reports all Kalshi and Polymarket markets are available in DC. PrizePicks does not offer its sports event contracts (Team Picks, 'powered by PrizePicks Predict') in DC but does offer Culture Picks. Robinhood and Crypto.com availability in DC not verified. Legality ultimately turns on the unresolved federal preemption question (see national).

Help: 1-800-522-4700 (NCPG National Problem Gambling Helpline; the number DC OLG cites and requires operators to display. NCPG now also brands the line 1-800-MY-RESET / 1-800-697-3738) · Self-exclusion

Sources: https://dclottery.com/olg/sports-wagering-faqs, https://dclottery.com/olg/approved-licenses, https://dclottery.com/sites/default/files/2026-04/OLG-SW-Approved-Sports-Wagering-Licenses-Rev-04.30.26_0.pdf, https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/laws/22-312

Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency / Commission (MLGCA / MLGCC); sports wagering licenses also run through the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC)

Maryland

Sports betting: Legal, since 2021-12-09. Mobile: yes. Minimum age 21.

Mobile sportsbooks: Bally Bet Sportsbook, bet365, BetMGM, betParx, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, Crab Sports, DraftKings, theScore Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook, FanDuel, LetsBetMD

Voters approved sports wagering by referendum 2020-11-03; HB 940 passed 2021-04-12 and was signed 2021-05-18. Operator list is MLGCA's 'Legal vs. Illegal Online Gaming' page (checked 2026-10-03). Under 21 prohibited (COMAR 36.10.13.44). COMAR 36.10.14.03 bars wagers on high school events, injuries, penalties, player disciplinary rulings and replay reviews. MLGCC's 2025-11-19 notice tells every licensee that involvement with unlicensed sporting event contracts (prediction markets) 'may have implications to your licensure'.

Pick'em (PrizePicks, Underdog): restricted. Only operators registered with MLGCA may offer fantasy contests (State Gov't 9-1D; COMAR 36.09). MLGCA's scope clarification: registered operators may not offer contests whose winning outcome rests on a single team's score/spread, any combination of teams, or any single performance of an individual athlete in a single event; those parlays and props are sports wagering (COMAR 36.10.14.02). MLGCA's registered list (checked 2026-10-03): DataForce Fantasy Football, DraftKings, DreamDraft, FanDuel, Fantasy Football Player's Championship, FastDraft, GullyCricket, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Sandman Sports, Splash Sports, SportsHub, Yahoo Fantasy Sports. PrizePicks and Underdog are NOT on it. PrizePicks itself limits Maryland users to Culture Picks only (no Player Picks, no Team Picks). Underdog's own responsible-gaming page still lists Maryland deposit limits and resources, which conflicts with MLGCA's list: Underdog's Maryland status is unverified.

Prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket): unsettled. Maryland's position: MLGCC 'has determined that a sporting event contract offered on a designated contract market (DCM) without a valid Maryland sports wagering license is an illegal activity in our state because this is unlawful sports wagering', including 'facilitating access' (notice of 2025-11-19). It sent cease-and-desist letters on 2025-04-07 to Kalshi, Robinhood Derivatives and North American Derivatives Exchange (Crypto.com). A federal court refused to block enforcement against Kalshi (2025-08-01), but Maryland then agreed not to enforce against Kalshi until the Fourth Circuit rules; that appeal was argued 2026-05-07 and was still pending on 2026-10-03. Baltimore City sued Kalshi and Polymarket 2026-08-13. Reported availability (CBS Sports, 2026-10-02): Kalshi sports markets live; Polymarket sports markets blocked (reason not stated; unverified). Robinhood and Crypto.com current availability not verified. PrizePicks offers only Culture Picks in Maryland.

Help: 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), Maryland Problem Gambling Helpline, 24/7 · Self-exclusion

Sources: https://www.mdgaming.com/maryland-sports-wagering/, https://www.mdgaming.com/legal-vs-illegal-online-gaming/, https://www.mdgaming.com/agency-timeline/, https://regs.maryland.gov/us/md/exec/comar/36.10.13.44

Virginia Lottery and Virginia Lottery Board (sports betting, casino gaming, and fantasy contests since 2026-07-01)

Virginia

Sports betting: Legal, since 2021-01-20. Mobile: yes. Minimum age 21.

Mobile sportsbooks: FanDuel - Betfair Interactive US LLC, permit 'in conjunction with the Washington Commanders', DraftKings - Crown Virginia Gaming, LLC, BetMGM - BetMGM, LLC, BetRivers - Rivers Portsmouth Gaming, LLC (Rivers Casino Portsmouth), Caesars Sportsbook - Caesars Virginia, LLC, Bally Bet - Bally's Interactive, LLC, Penn Sports Interactive, LLC (Penn's app; Maryland lists it as theScore Bet - brand not confirmed on the Virginia page), Hard Rock - HR Bristol, LLC, bet365 - Hillside (Virginia), LLC, Colonial Downs Group, LLC (permit holder; consumer brand not verified), PlayLive Virginia LLC (permit holder; consumer brand not verified), Fanatics Sportsbook - FBG Virginia LLC, listed by the Lottery as an approved supplier, not a permit holder

Legalized by 2020 Va. Acts chs. 1218 and 1256. Per the Lottery's 2021-02-03 board update, FanDuel (with the then Washington Football Team) took the first bets on 2021-01-20, DraftKings 2021-01-24, BetMGM and Rivers 2021-01-27. Permit list is the Lottery's 'Approved Permit Holders' (checked 2026-10-03). Under-21 betting is a Class 1 misdemeanor (Va. Code 58.1-4040). Ads must not target under-21s (58.1-4034(E)).

Pick'em (PrizePicks, Underdog): legal_regulated. Since 2026-07-01 (2026 Va. Acts chs. 565 and 566) fantasy contests are regulated by the Virginia Lottery under Va. Code 58.1-4200 et seq. A legal fantasy contest needs two or more players competing against each other, no player competing against the operator, and no winning outcome based on a single team's score/spread or solely on one athlete's single performance - so house-banked pick'em is out and pick'em must be peer-to-peer. Operators must verify players are 21+, offer self-restriction, and segregate player funds (58.1-4202(D)); $50,000 permit application fee; 10% tax plus 2.6% fee. Transition: operators holding a valid VDACS registration may keep operating until the Lottery Board adopts regulations and decides their permit applications (VDACS notice). VDACS's registered list as of 2026-06-30 includes SidePrize LLC dba PrizePicks (through 2027-04-30) and Underdog Sports, LLC (through 2026-11-30), plus DraftKings, FanDuel, Betr, Dabble, ParlayPlay, Sleeper, Splash Sports and others. PrizePicks offers all pick types in Virginia at 21+.

Prediction markets (Kalshi, Polymarket): unsettled. No Virginia Lottery, Attorney General or court action against Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood or Crypto.com was found as of 2026-10-03. CBS Sports (2026-10-02) lists Virginia sports prediction markets as live. PrizePicks offers Team Picks (sports event contracts) in Virginia at 21+. Robinhood and Crypto.com availability not verified. Status depends on the unresolved federal preemption question (see national).

Help: 1-888-532-3500 (Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline; call, text or chat, 24/7) · Self-exclusion

Sources: https://www.valottery.com/aboutus/casinosandsportsbetting/sportsbetting, https://cdnprodpaasmedia-valottery-com.azureedge.net/-/media/2023/sports-betting-board-meeting_02032021.pdf?rev=849304560d4342ff81ad165e86df205c, https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title58.1/chapter40/section58.1-4030/, https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title58.1/chapter40/section58.1-4034/

The federal fight over prediction markets

Sports event contracts trade on CFTC-registered exchanges (DCMs such as Kalshi, a DCM since 2020-11-03) and the CFTC has not barred them. Timeline: 2026-01-29 Chairman Michael Selig announced withdrawal of the June 2024 'Event Contracts' proposal that would have banned sports and political contracts, plus a 2025 staff advisory urging caution on sports contracts (withdrawal published in the Federal Register 2026-02-06). 2026-02-17 CFTC amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit (NADEX/Crypto.com v. Nevada) asserting exclusive jurisdiction. 2026-03-12 advance notice of proposed rulemaking. 2026-04-02 CFTC sued Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois; 2026-04-24 sued New York; 2026-05-19 sued Minnesota over a law making prediction-market operation a felony from 2026-08-01. 2026-06-10 proposed rule 'Prediction Markets; Public Interest Determinations' (17 CFR Part 40, published 2026-06-12, comments closed 2026-07-27): contracts settling on overall outcomes (final scores, point differentials, win-loss, tournament advancement, individual or team statistical performance, season-long metrics) weigh against prohibition; contracts on player injuries, officiating calls, discrete in-game actions, altercations and pre-collegiate (youth/high school) events would likely be found contrary to the public interest. Not final. 2026-08-11 the CFTC used its emergency power (CEA 8a(9)) to order Kalshi to keep operating after New York's 2026-07-31 lawsuit sought to bar it. On or about 2026-09-28 the CFTC sent the White House (OIRA) a proposed rule further defining 'swap' to include event contracts and an interim final rule excluding casino-style gambling products; text not yet public as of 2026-10-01.

Status: unsettled. The federal appeals courts are split on whether the Commodity Exchange Act preempts state gambling law for sports event contracts. Third Circuit (2026-04-06, KalshiEX v. Flaherty, No. 25-1922, 2-1, Judge Roth dissenting): yes, likely preempted; New Jersey cannot enforce against Kalshi. Ninth Circuit (2026-08-28, KalshiEX v. Assad, No. 25-7516): no; sports event contracts are likely not 'swaps' and Nevada may enforce. Sixth Circuit (2026-09-25, KalshiEX v. Schuler / v. Orgel, Nos. 26-3196/5235, unanimous): no; Ohio and Tennessee may enforce, and even if the contracts were swaps the CEA would not preempt. Fourth Circuit (Maryland, KalshiEX v. Martin, No. 25-1892): argued 2026-05-07, undecided as of 2026-10-03. Supreme Court: New Jersey petitioned for certiorari 2026-09-02 (Flaherty v. KalshiEX, No. 26-299); Kalshi's response is due 2026-11-09 after an extension; the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (2026-09-22) and IAGR/NAGRA gaming regulators (2026-10-02) have filed amicus briefs. Expect the rules to keep shifting until the Supreme Court rules or the CFTC's new rules take effect.

Sources: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/06/2026-02454/event-contracts-withdrawal-of-proposed-regulatory-action, https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/29/cftc-scraps-proposed-ban-on-sports-contracts-says-new-rules-coming.html, https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9183-26, https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9194-26, https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9206-26

Before you bet

This page explains the rules; it is not legal advice. Laws in this area changed several times in 2024 to 2026 and are still being decided in court. Always confirm with the regulator in your state.

21+. Odds and prices are for information and can change at any time. Check the rules where you live. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET. Responsible gaming · Where it's legal