Games like poker and blackjack could soon be available in the nation’s capital as part of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s 2026 budget proposal.
Her budget includes the Poker and Blackjack Authorization Act of 2025. The legislation would legalize games within the city, with the goal of offsetting revenue losses and projected spending cuts.
How that effort will exactly look is still unclear. The act was included in the Washington, D.C. budget as a way to study the issue. Additionally, it serves as an inroad to communicate with businesses that might be interested in spreading gambling games.
In the current landscape, Washington, D.C. doesn’t have a ton of gambling options. The district has brick-and-mortar and online sports betting and lottery games. The closest casino is MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
But there is no traditional casino gaming within the district’s borders.
“The district has enjoyed healthy revenues over the last 20 years and has been growing over the last 20 years,” Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert told local media. “Our population has grown, our business base has grown, we want to continue doing that, but at this moment to ensure we’re still collecting tax revenue and, as importantly, have jobs for people to go into, we need to be exploring every avenue of growth, including sports and entertainment.”
A Smaller Approach To D.C. Gambling
The city might want to expand gambling options. But it doesn’t want to be the home for major casinos like in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
However, it is looking into legalizing bingo gambling in addition to poker and blackjack. Albert said bars, restaurants, and hotels could also host gaming rooms.
Ian Thomas, a principal at the Offit Kurman law firm, helped advise local businesses offering sports betting. He told WJLA a D.C. poker market would resemble Florida’s, where poker rooms were in restaurants, bars and hotels.
But Florida poker is most commonly played at either Seminole Tribe-owned casinos or parimutuel facilities. In the Sunshine State, restaurants can host games if they have a special permit, but those venues don’t host many games.
New York and North Carolina have similar rules, but also have very few special permit owners. Texas uses a social clubs to host its poker rooms.
The goal is to provide added revenue streams to establishments as well as drive tax revenue for the district’s government.
“You can have a single marquee event, you can have multiple monthly events, or you can have daily events,” said Albert. “Depending on where you are in that continuum , that would change the economic profile, really understanding what would be best for DC residents.”
Added Revenue Could Help Bring NFL Back To D.C.
The plan comes as city officials are looking to pay for a new RFK Stadium to bring the NFL’s Washington Commanders out of Maryland and back to D.C. The franchise moved to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland in 1997, but the 30-year lease ends in 2027.
Then, the franchise wants to come back to D.C. and play in a new stadium. The mayor recently announced that the city won’t pay for the stadium itself. On the other hand, it will fund “horizontal construction” in the surrounding neighborhood to make room for the new venue.
Thomas believes area poker rooms could generate $12 million in additional annual tax revenue. He also thinks gaming revenue could be a “lifeline” to some businesses in the district.
