Introduction to District of Columbia Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019
- Washington has a long history of resisting gambling. It has one of the strictest 19th century laws against gambling (particularly for a western state). Timeline of gambling in Washington 1889: State constitution prohibits all gambling. 1933: Betting on horse racing legalized.
- I actually went to one with two other friends as part of graduating a couple years ago. Clearwater Casino is one. There are a couple others out there as well. If they don't server alcohol you are most likely in the clear. Gambling age in Washington state is 18 years of age. This includes Casino gambling and Washington State lottery.
- The legal gambling age in the US can be quite limiting to gamblers, but that’s not the case in all states. There are a few, which allow players to enter casinos at the mere age of 18, of course, unless there is alcohol involved.
Legal gambling age in washington Indiana Code §4-31-6-5. A person has to be 18 or over to participate in any charitable gambling, the prize for which is money; yet, anyone over 16 may participate in Bingo and other charitable games.
District of Columbia slot machine casino gambling does not exist. This federal district, the capital of the United States, has no casinos and, therefore, no slot machines. Washington, DC, does have a well-respected lottery.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in the District of Columbia*
The minimum legal gambling age in the District of Columbia depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: Not available
- Poker Rooms: Not available
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: Not available
Purchasers of lottery tickets must be 18 years of age or older. However, a person under 18 may receive a lottery ticket as a gift and paid a lottery prize.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in the District of Columbia
In the District of Columbia, it is legal to own slot machines manufactured before 1952, if intended for exhibition or private use by the owner, and not used for gambling purposes.
Gaming Control Board in the District of Columbia
The District of Columbia’s gaming control commission is the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG).
Legalized in 1982, the DC Lottery pays out more than 50% of annual sales in prize money, totaling $3 billion since 1982.
The Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 legalized sports wagering in the District of Columbia. After review, it became law on May 3, 2019. The rules governing sports wagering in DC became publicly available on August 30, 2019, in the District of Columbia Register.
Casinos in the District of Columbia
No casinos exist in the District of Columbia.
Commercial Casinos in the District of Columbia
No commercial casinos with slot machines exist in the District of Columbia.
Tribal Casinos in the District of Columbia
The District of Columbia has no federally recognized American Indian tribes and, therefore, no tribal casinos.
Other Gambling Establishments
Gambling Age In Washington Dc 2020
As an alternative to enjoying District of Columbia slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering the District of Columbia is:
- Northeast, Northwest, and Southeast: Maryland Slots
- Southwest: Virginia Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my state-specific blog for that neighboring state to the District of Columbia.
Our District of Columbia Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in the District of Columbia? If so, join our new District of Columbia slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in or near the District of Columbia. Join us!
Payout Returns in the District of Columbia
There are no casinos in the District of Columbia. Therefore, no theoretical payout limits or actual return statistics exist. The OLG states it will provide monthly sports betting statistics.
Summary of District of Columbia Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019
District of Columbia slot machine casino gambling does not exist in the nation’s capital of Washington, DC. However, as of 2019, legal sports betting has arrived.
Relatively nearby casinos exist in the neighboring state of Maryland. Virginia, the other bordering state to DC, will have casinos soon to offer as well.
Gambling Age In Washington State
Annual Progress in District of Columbia Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In the last year, the District of Columbia has changed the name of the DC Lottery. It was the Office of Lottery and Charitable Games, but it is now the Office of Lottery and Gaming. This change indicated the arrival of legal sports betting to DC.
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Delaware Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
Your Guide
Located between Virginia and Maryland, the District of Columbia is able to set its own gambling laws. As such online gambling is offered to residents of Washington DC with many offshore online casinos providers.
Online Gambling
- The District of Columbia Lottery holds an exclusive license to operate all land based lottery products
- Lottery and charitable gaming are the only permitted forms of gambling
- There are no state regulated online onshore operators, some offshore operators continue to accept players from the District of Columbia
Best 5 Washington DC Online Casinos
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1 | El Royale Casino | 250% up to $12,500 Welcome Bonus | Play Now |
2 | Bovada | 100% up to $3,000 Welcome Bonus | Play Now |
3 | Vegas Casino Online | 400% up to $10,000 Welcome Bonus | Play Now |
4 | Slots Empire | 220% up to $12,000 Welcome Bonus | Play Now |
5 | Red Dog Casino | 225% up to $12,250 Welcome Bonus | Play Now |
Real money online casino activity is currently available and offered through various sites that are based offshore. These sites are safe and secure to play at, with no risk posed to D.C. players, both regarding legality or to player data protection.
The best online casinos all use the latest SSL encryption technology, and feature secure payment methods that are common, trusted and processed by reputable financial institutions. These include: VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Bitcoin (BTC), direct wire transfers and many other methods.
We highly recommend NOT using payment methods that are new and not tested even though the fees maybe very low.
Casino bonuses are extremely important in selecting an online casino. We have therefore displayed some of the best casino bonuses that can be found whilst balancing other important criteria such as safety and security as previously mentioned. However, for ease of reference, we have listed them according to the size of bonus.
Without doubt, at the time of writing, El Royale Casino offers the best casino bonus deal. It is also one of the safest. Coupled with excellent customer service, El Royale is our top recommended online casino for D.C. players.
Top D.C. Online Bingo
Washington D.C. bingo laws are stipulated under Charitable gaming state legislation. These laws provide for the licensing of non profit organizations to operate bingo games. At present, these laws do not address nor permit online bingo by onshore operators. Accordingly, online bingo sites that do accept D.C. players are based offshore (which is the same as online casinos and sports betting sites).
The recommended online bingo sites all accept players from Washington D.C. They offer advanced features that include instant messaging, fun bingo games and protocols that ensures bingo participants play together in a civil enjoyable manner. Due to the social aspect of bingo, there is a cultural aspect to bingo which cannot be found with casino or sports betting. As an example, A LOT of acronyms form part of instant chat messaging. If you are not familiar with online bingo lingo, do not be afraid, learning it is one of the most fun parts!
Charitable Gambling
Washington DC Lottery regulates and licenses charitable gaming by non profit organizations. They allow for raffles, lottery and Monte Carlo Parties. Non profit organizations from Marylands and Virginia are also permitted to apply for licenses to allow for charitable gaming.
Sports Betting Sites
Sports betting is legal in D.C. via the Lottery betting app called GamBetDC. Unfortunately, not many bettors have taken up this avenue of placing a bet due to the poor odds offered and limited betting options.
D.C Bettors are therefore turning to online sports betting sites based offshore. They accept D.C bettors, with no precedence of any bettor being informed of a breach in law, let alone charged with a misdemeanor or felony.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily Fantasy Sports is growing fast in popularity. New to the gambling scene, it is considered a game of skill by many which requires bettors to create a fictitious team based on real players. The performance of the real sports players in real life determine how successful the fictitious team is. As a result, it truly is those with the most “skills” will win.
The two largest daily fantasy sports providers is DraftKings and FanDuel. On this site, we do not actively promote daily fantasy sports as we understand that it is a game of “skill” which is being exploited by bettors who have the best risk modelling. That is, it isn’t nearly about how well you know your sport, the sport players etc, it is very much about who has the best statistical model and who has access to the most detailed sports player data.
As someone who may be a big fan of sport, and thinking that they would have a good chance of winning money in DFS, think again. You are pitted against statistical modelling experts who deliberately target games that mostly have new players to DFS. In fact, it has been alleged that those who are extremely good at DFS have been known to collaborate among themselves and not compete with each other. Thereby creating a sustainable winning formula shared by the experts.
We therefore want our readers to be aware that DFS is not what is appears to be. Just a reminder DFS is illegal in Washington D.C. but many DFS onshore operators will continue to accept D.C. players.
Gambling Laws
- Charitable organizations with a license can operate bingo, raffles, casino nights and poker tournaments;
- Online poker, casinos, sports betting and fantasy sports are all prohibited in the state;
- The State Lottery offers traditional draw and instant games, keno and video lottery terminals
Minimum Legal Gambling Age
The minimum legal age for gambling is 18 in DC.
Gambling Taxes
An 8.5 % withholding tax is levied on all lottery winnings over $5000.
Regulation and Governance
Gambling Legislation
District of Columbia, code division IV; 22-1717. Permissible Gambling activities.
D.C. Code § 2-2534.
FAQ
Is it legal to gamble with real money at online casinos from DC?
It is ambiguous with current laws as to whether it is legal for players to gamble at online casinos. However technically no local operators are permitted. Players on the other hand are accepted at several online casinos.
What is the minimum to play at online casinos?
Online casinos will normally set their own minimum legal age, but also stipulate that the player must abide by the law of the jurisdiction that a player resides in.
This therefore means for some online casinos 18 year olds are accepted. Whilst 21 years are the minimum for others.