Commanders' FedExField on-site sportsbook receives initial approval

August 12, 2022

The Washington Commanders have received approval from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to build an on-property sportsbook. Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC was chosen to be the company managing the retail sports betting at FedExField.

The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission was recommended by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to issue Maryland Stadium Sub a sports betting facility license. However, the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission has the final say on the matter and will be meeting on August 17 to discuss the license.

If the license is issued, Stadium Sub will work with Maryland Lottery and Gaming staff to launch its betting operations. Dan Snyder, who controls the Washington Commanders team and Stadium Sub, LLC, is hoping to have on-site sports betting as an option for fans before the regular season ends. FanDuel will be the primary partner for both online and on-site sports wagering on FedExField.

The Washington Commanders are planning on using the on-site sportsbooks to increase fan turnout as the team ranked last between the NFL's 32 teams in ticket sales and second-to-last for revenue from tickets.

Despite the disappointing sales, Snyder is investing in the stadium for the upcoming season. He is optimistic that stadium upgrades like the sportsbook will be well received by fans and result in higher attendance.

"We've dramatically upgraded [the stadium]. We're encouraging everyone to come to see all the changes we've done to the stadium. We're going to have some big-time attendance," Snyder said to the gaming and lottery regulators.

NFL and Sports Betting

Currently, the NFL prohibits its franchises from allowing gambling to occur within its venues. However, the league is slowly continuing to ease its opposition to gambling despite once being very firm in its views on gambling after losing a legal battle in May 2018.

Due to the legal fight, single-game sports betting is no longer limited to Nevada. As a result, the NFL has begun to allow sports betting and is working closely with the gaming industry in general. Teams are allowed to partner with casinos and sportsbook organizations, and many have done so. The NFL has even gone a step further and announced that Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel have become the Official Sports Betting Partners of the NFL in 2021.

"As the sports betting landscape has continued to evolve in the United States, we have been thoughtful with our strategy and are excited to announce three partners who share the NFL's vision and goals," said Renie Anderson, chief revenue officer and executive vice president of NFL Partnerships. Anderson then added that their work with the new partners would allow fans to interact and engage with the spot in new and interesting ways.

Despite the NFL embracing sports gambling, the league still does not allow sportsbooks and sports wagering kiosks to operate within the stadiums. Teams may have sportsbooks nearby if the facilities remain separate and are placed outside the ticketed areas. Fans are also allowed to bet using mobile devices on-site if online sports wagering is legal in the state.

Jake
Jake Williams
Jake Williams is a sports gambling expert. He's been writing in the sports betting and DFS industry for over a decade. He specializes in MLB and NBA, along with College Basketball and College Football.