Politics & Government

Councilmember Jack Evans Calls for Additional Study and Public Input on i-Gaming

Evans chaired the roundtable hearing on online gambling (i-gaming) Wednesday and raised several concerns about the industry in D.C.

Councilmember Jack Evans chaired a hearing Wednesday on online gambling in the District, which was legalized thanks in large part to the efforts of Councilmember Michael Brown. However, Evans is less gun-ho than his fellow council member and is not requesting additional study of the industry in D.C.

At the hearing Evans raised concerns about consumer protection and preventing access to i-Gaming sites from D.C. government facilities like schools and libraries.

“I have met with representatives of the Chief Financial Officer and DC Lottery in light of yesterday’s hearing and am pleased that they are taking immediate action in response to concerns raised before the Committee,” said Evans in a news release. “We have agreed to postpone implementation of any ‘hot spots’ until clear rules are in place that guarantee prior community input.”

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Wednesday, DC Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi said Evans' concerns about the adverse impact of gambling on low-income residents were moot, “these concerns are with the lottery in general and we crossed that bridge long ago.”

Just the same, Evans is pushing for more time and a delay for a program that could begin in September.

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Now Councilmembers will organize community meetings to give residents the opportunity to consider i-Gaming locations prior to any decisions being made. In addition, the Lottery has committed to issuing rules to clarify the process for formal community input, according to the press release.

“Our civic groups and Advisory Neighborhood Commissions play a vital role in shaping our neighborhoods,” Evans said in the release.  “We cannot move forward without providing them the opportunity to weigh in on these issues.”


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