A popular franchise that is part of the National Football League, the Washington Redskins are hoping that Maryland or Virginia will give the green light to sports betting. Franchise officials hope that one of the two states would legalize betting on sports as part of the arrangement for the new stadium that is currently being planned.
As stated in The Washington Post, the Washington Redskins played their home games in a small place called Landover, Md., using FexExField, which can seat up to 82,000 people. This has been their home for more than two decades, and now they are hoping to change that.
The plan is to either redevelop the existing stadium and upgrade it or to move to a completely new place, which is located south of the Potomac River in Virginia.
According to the report, Redskins owner Dan Snyder has met with Maryland legislators to discuss the possibility of building a new stadium. The venue would probably be built on 215 acres of land that are currently owned by Snyder at Prince George’s County.
The idea behind the venue is not only to offer a new home to the Washington Redskins but to offer year-round entertainment. Apart from the stadium, Snyder also envisioned the venue, including practice facilities, corporate headquarters, and even several restaurants and hotels.
The Only Thing Missing — A Sportsbook!
Maryland did not legalize sports betting, but Snyder hopes that he would be able to persuade the legislators so that he would be able to open an on-site sportsbook. What makes it even better for him is that the NFL has allegedly agreed to allow partners run by minorities to run sportsbook enterprises.
That way, associated profits would be shared with those who faced discrimination throughout history.
According to Justin Ross, who is one of the lobbyists for the Washington Redskins, the team needed a license to run an on-site sportsbook to stay competitive with other teams in the area. For example, the Washington Nationals of MLB will soon be able to open a sportsbook as part of their home venue, Nationals Park, which is located in the District of Columbia.
Moreover, Snyder believes that a sportsbook would help reinvigorate a team that was only able to make it to the postseason six times after 1991 when they managed to win the Super Bowl.
Finally, Washington is home to several other big franchises, including DC United, a soccer team which is part of Major League Soccer, as well as the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League. That means there are many sports fans in the area who would probably love to have the opportunity to place bets on sports they like.
Virginia is another state that did not legalize sports betting, which is why Snyder has been very active there as well to back two legislative measures that can help him get a license.
