Disputes in Washington End Online Gambling Program

Last year, the District of Columbia seemed to hold all the aces in the high-stakes race among states to offer Internet gambling. Its program, iGaming, was on track to be the first one in the country, and it promised revenue for the district from Texas hold ’em poker, blackjack and bingo. Instead, the Council of the District of Columbia repealed iGaming last week over criticism that it had been approved without sufficient public comment or scrutiny.

The 10-2 vote on Feb. 7 has, for now, ended Washington’s foray into online gambling. The dustup has also opened a window into iGaming’s tumultuous creation and collapse, spurring calls for investigation and questions about the conduct of city officials. To some, the episode has revealed not a glittering promise of gambling’s future, but an unsavory stew of political grudges and pay-to-play business dealings. It has cast a further shadow over a city government already embroiled in multiple federal investigations, one of which resulted in a council member pleading guilty last month to theft of public funds.