DC Playing Restoration LLC, an organization registered in Delaware, is continuous its authorized battle towards main sports activities betting operators within the US District Courtroom for the District of Columbia. The corporate argues that these operators are nonetheless breaking federal and native legal guidelines, even after the D.C. Council’s latest makes an attempt to replace playing rules.
In a submitting seen by ReadWrite and dated September 29, the corporate mentioned that “the Council’s tried sports-gambling carve out is ineffective as a result of it violates federal legislation.” The lawsuit names a number of main sports activities betting corporations as defendants, together with Caesars Sportsbook, FanDuel, BetMGM, DraftKings, and Fanatics.
Central to the dispute, the corporate argues that the Skilled and Beginner Sports activities Safety Act of 1992, or PASPA, nonetheless applies within the District of Columbia and prevents the native authorities from permitting or partnering with personal corporations to run sports activities betting operations.
The submitting states that PASPA makes it “illegal for any governmental entity, together with the District of Columbia, to authorize by legislation or compact a betting, playing, or wagering scheme that’s based mostly on aggressive video games wherein newbie or skilled athletes take part.”
The plaintiff argues that this legislation “stays efficient within the District” and that D.C. “couldn’t have repealed its Statute of Anne,” that means that “anybody providing sports activities wagering faces legal responsibility for violating it.”
What’s the Statute of Anne in DC?
DC Playing Restoration bases its case on the Statute of Anne, a legislation first handed in early 18th-century England throughout the reign of Queen Anne. The statute, which continues to be technically in impact within the District of Columbia and several other different states, permits anybody who loses greater than $25 in a playing session to get better their losses from the winners.
If the loser doesn’t file a lawsuit inside three months, another person can sue as a substitute for thrice the quantity of the losses, referred to as “treble damages.” In the event that they win, they’re required to provide half of that cash to the poor within the parish the place the wager befell.
The legislation crossed the Atlantic with different British statutes and took root within the American colonies, together with Maryland. When the federal district was created from elements of Maryland and Virginia, it inherited the legislation as properly.
The corporate argues that this previous statute makes trendy sports activities betting operations unlawful and will drive operators to return tens of millions of {dollars} to shedding bettors.
The submitting additionally asserts that the defendants, “going through hefty legal responsibility and lengthy odds on the deserves,” sought political intervention. It claims that the businesses “satisfied the D.C. Council to amend (however not repeal) its Statute of Anne” as a “legislative escape hatch.”
The corporate argues that the D.C. Council’s latest adjustments to playing legal guidelines can’t override federal restrictions and subsequently don’t defend the betting operators from attainable authorized legal responsibility.
Modernization of sports activities betting legal guidelines
The District of Columbia, which has joined the case, argues that latest adjustments to native legislation have made the lawsuit irrelevant. The D.C. Council up to date the playing legal guidelines to modernize them and make it clear that regulated sports activities betting is authorized within the district. DC Playing Restoration disagrees, insisting that these adjustments break federal legislation and are invalid below PASPA, which the corporate says nonetheless applies to sports activities betting involving skilled and newbie video games.
“Leaving little doubt as to the incompatibility of those two legal guidelines, proposed laws included on this 12 months’s budgetary course of, pending assessment earlier than the Council for the District of Columbia (the Council), would make clear present legislation that D.C. Code § 16-1702 doesn’t apply to sports activities wagering within the wake of the SWLAA’s [Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018] enactment.” – Legal professional Common Brian Schwalb argues in an earlier submitting
“It isn’t clear why the District, given its present fiscal challenges, would voluntarily eradicate the potential of receiving a big quantity of income to help its safety-net,” the attorneys, Derek T. Ho and James W. Taglieri wrote in a letter that was first reported by The 51st.
“Make no mistake, Part 2064 [the budget provision] prioritizes the monetary pursuits of playing operators over the priorities of District residents. We can not fathom why the Council would take this motion.”
Though the Supreme Courtroom’s 2018 resolution largely struck down PASPA and gave states the facility to legalize sports activities betting, DC Playing Restoration argues that the ruling didn’t mechanically apply to the District of Columbia. The corporate says that with out particular approval from Congress, the district continues to be certain by the unique federal restrictions.
Kalshi was sued in 5 state courts by 5 Delaware LLCs. All included Mar 18 with equivalent names, ie “Kentucky Playing Restoration LLC”. Lawsuits cite identical 1710 legislation permitting third events to get better playing losses.
Extra fits coming? 4 extra states permit it. Particulars in feedback. pic.twitter.com/CbVHo33eEO
— Mick Bransfield (@MickBransfield) August 8, 2025
This isn’t the one case invoking the centuries-old British legislation. Veridis Administration LLC and its CEO, Maximillian Amster, are pursuing lawsuits towards the prediction market platform Kalshi Inc. in six states, utilizing the 300-year-old playing statute to attempt to get better cash misplaced on failed predictions.
Featured picture: Artwork UK / Public Area / Canva
The submit US agency cites 300-year-old Statute of Anne in betting lawsuit towards Flutter and others appeared first on ReadWrite.
