FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, BetStars and others might be coming to Washington D.C. after all. At least in a departure from the course, we’re telling you there’s a chance.

The D.C. Council on Tuesday put off a decision on whether to skip a competitive bidding and award the sole contract to manage the city’s new venture into sports betting.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson withdrew emergency legislation that would have allowed the D.C. Lottery to immediately contract with Intralot as its sports betting operator and avoid a bidding process. In other words, just one legal sportsbook in D.C., also known as a monopoly. But Council members said they wanted to ease concerns by giving the public time to weigh in on the issue.

“We would lose some months,” said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3). “But we would at least have it out there in the open and have a hearing.”

Lottery in favor of one operator

Last month, the Council passed a bill legalizing sports betting, making Washington D.C. the first jurisdiction in the metropolitan region to allow betting on professional and collegiate sports. The D.C. Council is still awaiting the mayor’s signature before the Lottery can begin working on regulations and launch sports betting.

D.C. Lottery officials have advocated skipping the competitive-bidding process. Instead, they want to negotiate a contract directly with Intralot, the same company that operates the city’s lottery. The idea of having a single app and no competition to select an operator has sparked debate in the sports betting industry.

Hope for more choices for the bettor

By having a sole operator, it would freeze out any other commercials sportsbook from the Washington DC market (with some limited exceptions on premises at certain sports venues). As we’ve seen already in New Jersey, competition is good among sportsbooks.

DraftKings and FanDuel were the top two sportsbooks in revenue for the month of November because on their online presence and innovative approach to reaching new customers. Whether it’s Las Vegas, New Jersey or Washington, having more sportsbooks is good for the consumer because they must compete for the market share, offer new products and incentives, theoretically it will encourage better pricing, too, while Intralot is making outlandish promises about how much it can generate — at the expense of the consumer.

Lottery still making its case

D.C. Lottery CFO Jeff DeWitt’s office sent a memo to the Council late last week explaining that the District would give up its position as a “first mover” on sports betting by having to go through a lengthy bidding process for an operator. DeWitt isn’t going down without a fight.

DeWitt’s office plans to make its case for a sole operator at hearings throughout the District.

“The Office of the Chief financial Officer welcomes the opportunity to lay out the compelling business reasons why it is necessary to go with a sole source contract,” Public Affairs Officer, Office of the Chief Financial Officer David Umansky told Sports Handle via e-mail.

As usual, when it comes to the nation’s capital, nothing comes easy. The D.C. Council could still opt to go with a single operator but for every other potential sportsbook operator the door to sports betting in Washington D.C. is still cracked open…for now.