On Friday, the D.C. Lottery announced the schedule for public hearings that they will hold regarding the online gambling law. From August 16 to September 14, the Lottery will hold a series of public meetings on the controversial program, which was passed into law before any debate or public vetting.

The program would regulate online gambling within the borders of Washington, D.C. The bill was slipped into a supplemental budget bill, where it passed in December. Since then, one district councilmember, Tommy Wells, has said that he wants to repeal the bill. Some of the public is outraged that they didn’t hear about online gambling regulation until after it was signed into law. To soothe the fears and anger, the D.C. Lottery will hold public hearings to discuss the matter.

A sure topic of conversation will be the so-called gambling “hot-spots.” In the beginning, players will have to go to certain locations, such as a hotel or restaurant, to play at the online casino. Having the gaming at specific locations will enable the regulators to make sure the safety features that protect people from problem gambling and prevent minors from playing. Once the regulators are satisfied that the protections are working, they will transition the program over to a system where players can log into the online casino and play from anywhere within the district limits of Washington, D.C.

Whatever comes out of the hearings, though, the public shouldn’t expect big changes. The law has already been passed and is ready to be implemented.

Tags: gambling regulation, Washington D.C. online gambling

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