D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has expressed interest in expanding local blackjack, poker, and bingo game options.
During her proposed budget for 2026, Bowser said, “Our initial, kind of, thinking around the (poker and blackjack) tournaments is that we will open them up to our hotel properties.” She also mentioned allowing commercial bingo to commence at local restaurants.
Ian Thomas, a local attorney who specializes in gambling laws, said, “I think it’s an interesting expansion in gaming law in the District; you see a lot of different jurisdictions using gambling and gaming to increase revenues.”
How D.C. Revenue Goals Will Be Achieved
The 2026 budget proposal includes the availability of two-year licenses from the Office of Lottery and Gaming, with an application fee of $5,000 and a $2,000 charge for each location where a company will offer card games such as poker and blackjack.
Thomas explained the reasoning for offering affordable licensing: “The affordability leads me to believe that there is some contemplation here that small or midsized local businesses may be able to take advantage of this sort of new offering in D.C.”
After deducting the payouts to players, a 25% tax will be applied to gross gaming revenue, which businesses earn from bets.
Framework
There are currently no casinos in Washington, D.C., so expanding gambling options to local establishments is considered a bold move. D.C. first legalized local sports betting in 2019, and the first physical location started accepting bets in 2020.
Thomas mentioned that another challenge is persuading the community to support the plan. She emphasized the importance of demonstrating that appropriate “guardrails” are in place and proving that the games would benefit the community.
She also noted that the 2026 budget lacks funding for “problem gambling,” which she believes should be included.
Online Blackjack
Legal online blackjack has been available in D.C. for years from offshore casinos. Since there are no laws that distinctly forbid online gambling, players have been able to access and wager online since the early 2000s.
Online blackjack games are often powered by random number generators that produce fair odds. Legit sites are also regulated by trusted gaming commissions that test the odds and the security protocols.
Our online blackjack site reviews are a great place to start for anyone looking to wager online. Many sites offer daily tournaments, live dealer blackjack, and reward programs for frequent players.