William Hill US has achieved a notable debut this week, opening its first-ever sportsbook location in Washington DC and the first-ever within a US sports complex – the Capital One Arena. The ceremonial opening bets were placed by inaugural season ticket holders from the Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics.
The temporary sports book is located inside the Capital One Arena Box Office at 601 F Street, NW. Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), led by Founder, Chairman, Principal Partner and CEO, Ted Leonsis, is the parent company of the Washington Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and Capital One Arena.
The timing of the launch dovetails neatly with the return of professional sports following the hiatus all leagues imposed in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US, stated: “Washington DC is known for its dedicated sports fans, and we’re excited to finally bring them a new way to engage with their favorite teams. Being the first to open a retail location in a professional sports venue wouldn’t be possible without our relationship with Ted Leonsis and his team at Monumental.
“Our teams are working hard to finalize the permanent sports book, restaurant and bar concept we originally envisioned inside the arena.”
Jim Van Stone, President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer MSE, welcomed the opening and the participation of the inaugural season ticket holders. He said: “We are so pleased to mark this day with three of the most dedicated team fans who propel our players towards excellence on the court or on the ice and for whom Monumental Sports & Entertainment continually innovates.
“And we couldn’t be more excited to couple this new dimension of a sports experience with the return to play across all of our leagues. William Hill has been a terrific partner with a reputation for excellence in service and maintaining the highest level of integrity in their process, and we look forward to welcoming many familiar and new visitors to the arena to check it out.”
Inside the arena’s box office, visitors will find seven ticket windows and 10 kiosks and a seamless experience for placing bets. The facility will be open seven days a week, from 11 am to 11 pm.
Design and construction on the permanent William Hill Sports Book are underway, and it is expected to open in the fall of 2020, pending regulatory approval. The sports book will have full-service food and beverage offerings, complemented by premium sports betting facilities from William Hill, the exclusive sports betting partner of the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics and Monumental Sports & Entertainment.
