D.C.’s first independent sportsbook prepping for opening as neighbors resist Jill R. Dorson, SportsHandle · October 22, 2020 at 7:44 am Shane August is finally on the cusp of opening the first independently owned retail sportsbook in the United States, but he’s got one more hurdle to get over — convincing his new neighbors that a Las Vegas-style sportsbook won’t be the “wild, wild West and alleyways.” August is aiming to open his Handle 19 Sportsbook in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood by Thanksgiving. He said he’s expecting the D.C. Lottery to issue his Class B Gaming license by the end of this month. With that, Handle 19 could start taking bets, making it the second brick-and-mortar sportsbook venue in D.C. to do so. The other is the William Hill sportsbook at Capital One Arena, owned by sports magnate Ted Leonsis, which so far has generated far more legal betting activity than the lottery’s GamBetDC mobile app.
