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At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie was one of the deciding votes in creating D.C.’s ill-fated sports betting monopoly five years ago. Now, he’s become the central figure in the fight to dismantle that system.

The District could allow private sportsbooks to start operating mobile betting apps throughout the city as soon as this summer, if the Council passes a plan crafted by McDuffie and Chair Phil Mendelson into law. The District would still run its own betting app alongside some (thoroughly controversial) private contractors, but it would no longer be the only game in town for bettors itching to lose some of their hard-earned money on sports wagering. This move, as first sketched out by McDuffie in legislation two months ago, would essentially be the city’s opening bid in normalizing its screwed-up sports betting landscape and catching up with its neighbors in Virginia and Maryland.

What’s more, McDuffie and Mendelson envision that this switch will generate millions in taxes and licensing fees each year that the city can use to end a perpetual standoff with Mayor Muriel Bowser over “baby bonds,” a program championed by McDuffie as a way to help close the racial wealth gap. Bowser has made a habit of swiping money from the program each time the Council reverses her cuts, but this budget would explicitly tie the two programs together. So McDuffie, who oversees the sports betting program as chair of the Council’s business and economic development committee, gets to solve two of his problems at once. 

Maybe, just maybe, that means sports wagering will be a positive rather than a negative for McDuffie. Back when he was still the Ward 5 councilmember, he took a beating over his decision to flip his support for the sports betting contract. He initially voted against allowing a sole-source, no-bid deal for sports wagering, but on the second of two votes, he was part of the 7-6 majority that approved the city’s contract with Intralot, which kicked off this whole mess. The last-minute discovery by the Washington Post that his cousin, Keith McDuffie, was listed as a subcontractor in the deal only amped up the pressure (despite the councilmember’s insistence that he knew nothing about his cousin’s involvement). McDuffie’s opponent in the 2022 at-large race, then-Councilmember Elissa Silverman, tried to turn the matter into a campaign issue by backing her own legislation to allow private operators into the betting market.

Loose Lips must admit that it’s a bit remarkable to find McDuffie essentially adopting Silverman’s position on this matter given the bad blood that plainly still exists over their 2022 race. So how did this switch come to be?

For a closer look inside McDuffie’s calculations, and what this means for the future of sports betting and the city’s budget, check out our full story online.

—Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

Three People Died in the DC Jail in Two Weeks

Three people have died while in custody at the DC Jail this month—in the span of about two weeks.

• Giant pandas will return to the National Zoo before the end of the year. Bao Li, a 2-year-old male panda, will be joined by Qing Bao, a 2-year-old female panda. They’ll remain in D.C. until at least 2034 through a research and breeding agreement that will send $1 million annually to the China Wildlife and Conservation Association. D.C. has been panda-less since November when its three giant pandas returned to China. The bears have been a symbol of diplomacy between the U.S. and China since the early ’70s. [Axios]
• Police are trying to figure out who is behind a rash of racket thefts at tennis shops throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Shop owners up and down the East Coast are warning each other about an alleged scheme where a man distracts a salesperson while women in loose, flowing clothing swipe the rackets. Pickleball paddles appear to be a particular target, as the sport continues to rise in popularity and some rackets can cost as much as $250 a pop. [Post]

By City Paper Staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

City Paper Primary Prep: Will Janeese Lewis George Waltz to Reelection in Ward 4?

The Ward 4 Council race had all the makings of a classic D.C. political drama a few months ago but has since fizzled out.

Mendelson Tries to Appease Progressives, End D.C.’s Sports Betting Mess With Budget Changes

Council Chair Phil Mendelson may complain about his more progressive colleagues on occasion, but they’ve […]

• Mendelson’s changes to the budget will preserve funding for the D.C. Futures program, which helps students earn degrees from several local universities at a greatly reduced cost. The extra $14.3 million should help the program’s 1,500 current participants graduate over the next four years. [Informer]
• The budget also comes with several sweeteners for local businesses, such as a new grant program for small retailers hoping to stay open in Chinatown and money for the city to acquire the National Theatre downtown. [WBJ]
• Mayor Bowser called her Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services a “fantastic agency,” despite recent calls for reforms by Attorney General Brian Schwalb and other advocates. She said she had no interest in working with Schwalb to improve it, but instead said “we need to focus on making sure that they have the people that they need, and if the young people need to be in secure detention, are actually in secure detention.” [WUSA9]

By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• The best day to have a barbecue, according to science, is June 29. [Axios]
• Before you make a restaurant reservation, make sure you check out the cancellation policy. Some restaurants charge the full price of the meal upfront and won’t issue a refund if you cancel. [Washingtonian]
• ICYMI: Popular ramen spot Daikaya is now serving sushi at its upstairs izakaya from chef Toyoaki Kitamura. [Eater]