Elys Game Technology has secured approval to open a second retail sportsbook location in Washington DC through an expanded partnership with the Grand Central Restaurant and Sportsbook.
The specific location of the new sportsbook has not yet been disclosed, while any opening remains subject to approval by the DC Department of Small & Local Business Development (DSLBD) and DC Office of Lottery and Gaming (DCOLG).
Elys and Grand Central opened their first joint sportsbook in DC exactly one year ago today (October 4), with the facility at Grand Central Restaurant and Sportsbook being the first at a bar not to be operated by the state lottery’s Gambet brand.
This came after Grand Central and Elys were issued a Class B operator license by the DCOLG for the venture.
“We are extremely pleased with the strong performance of this first location in the Adams Morgan district of DC, as illustrated by the continuous growth in betting handle,” Elys executive chairman Michele Ciavarella said. “Given this joint success, we are proud to now announce plans for a second sportsbook location with the ownership of Grand Central in DC.
“We believe our sportsbook solutions could play an important role in supporting the recovery of bars, restaurants and other small businesses post pandemic, and are witnessing very strong interest and demand for our solutions and our highly popular Build-Your-Bet feature for sports bettors.
“We appreciate the support of the DCOLG in establishing and developing our first MSP location and together with DSLDB we now look forward to working closely with District officials and ownership to advance plans for this second location and others underway through this new implementation model.”
Last week, it was also announced that Elys had been granted approval by Washington DC local government for a white-label joint venture with the Ozio Lounge, a Mediterranean-themed nightclub.
The business agreed to launch a joint venture with District Hospitality, the club’s operator, and will trade under the BetDupont LLC name. The agreement has an initial term of three years from the date the licence is issued – with inbuilt provisions for two anticipated extensions of two years each.