BetMGM Sportsbook At Nationals Park Opens As MLB’s First Retail Book
With the new Nationals Park sportsbook in Washington, DC, BetMGM has helped usher in a new era for Major League Baseball teams.
The newly opened retail sportsbook is located at the home ballpark for the Washington Nationals. It’s the first retail sportsbook in an MLB stadium.
The first-of-its-kind facility is unlikely to be the last, though, given the country’s recent influx of sports-betting jurisdictions. However, the Nationals and BetMGM, which announced a multi-year partnership in January 2021, were determined to be the first to prove the concept.
And according to BetMGM officials, the year-round facility is further proof of its commitment to the DMV region. After all, the company now has a sports betting presence in DC, Maryland and Virginia.
About Nationals Park sportsbook in DC
The BetMGM Sportsbook At Nationals Park will be open year-round, seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight. Fans can both watch and wager on games – MLB and otherwise – in the retail sportsbook.
Patrons can access the 4,000-square-foot facility from N Street SE next to Center Field Gate.
The Nationals Park sportsbook, which has a seating capacity of 187, has 40 big-screen TVs to catch all of the big games. It has also live odds boards so you can see the latest BetMGM Sportsbook lines in real-time.
And, perhaps just as importantly, customers can place wagers with cashiers at six betting windows. Or they can use self-service betting kiosks located throughout the facility.
The in-stadium sportsbook also offers full-service beverage and dining options.
As BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt stated:
“We’re constantly pushing the boundaries to deliver sports fans unique experiences, and that’s just what we’ve done with the new BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park. Whether fans are attending baseball games or looking for a place to watch any sporting event, the BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park is bound to be one of the most engaging sports viewing environments in the District.”
The Nationals Park sportsbook is located in the space previously known as Center Field Social. Fans in attendance at Nationals games will not be able to access that part of the ballpark on game days.
However, as they have for the past year, they can still place sports bets on the BetMGM app.
BetMGM going big on Virginia and DMV
Washington, DC has just one district-wide sports-betting operator; the DC Lottery-backed GambetDC mobile app has that part of the market cornered. However, BetMGM can take online wagers through its app in a two-block radius around Nationals Park in DC.
It’s not an ideal setup, but it’s producing some tangible results. When looking at DC sports betting in December 2021, for example, we see that BetMGM processed $2.2 million of the $19.2 million (about 11.2%) of all wagers. Now, with a shiny new retail sportsbook, it could grab even more market share.
Still, as we’ve learned in other jurisdictions, sports bettors much prefer true online sports betting. In fact, mobile wagering usually accounts for 80-90% of a market when bettors are given the option of online vs. in-person.
Yet, despite limited options in DC, BetMGM is also makings its mark in nearby locales. In Virginia, where FanDuel launched first in the online-only market, BetMGM has steadily grown from 14% market share in March 2021 to 17.8% by November 2021.
BetMGM has also steadily offered some of the best promos in Virginia.
Plus, BetMGM recently launched the first retail sportsbook in Maryland. In December, officials debuted BetMGM Sports Book & Lounge at MGM National Harbor.
As Lerner Sports Chief Operationg Officer Alan Gottlieb stated:
“The D.C.-Maryland-Virginia region is a great look into how we’re seeking to expand the BetMGM platform with a variety of unique experiences for our customers. They can utilize the BetMGM mobile app anywhere in Virginia, can visit the newly opened retail sportsbook at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, and now in D.C., they can access the first sportsbook connected to a Major League Baseball stadium. We’ve established great partnerships that allow us to bring these one-of-a-kind touchpoints to the DMV.”
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