Washington, D.C. runs on a legislative calendar unlike any state's: even after the Council passes a bill, Congress gets a review window before it becomes law. That adds a layer of delay no state government has to clear. Council Bill 26-0656, the "Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026," would legalize licensed iGaming and ban dual-currency sweepstakes casinos at the same time - but as of this writing it's had exactly one hearing and no markup or vote.
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Bill watch: what's pending in D.C.?
| Bill | What it would do | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Council Bill 26-0656 ("Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026") | Legalize licensed real-money iGaming and ban dual-currency sweepstakes casinos | First hearing held May 4, 2026; no markup or committee vote scheduled as of this writing |
Even a full Council passage wouldn't be the final word. Under the Home Rule Act, D.C. legislation is subject to a 60-day congressional review period before it can take effect, meaning this bill would still face a federal-level clock even after clearing every local hurdle.
Why would D.C. legalize online casinos and ban sweepstakes casinos in the same bill?
Because from the Council's perspective, they're competitors for the same regulatory space. A licensed, taxed iGaming market and an unlicensed, tax-light sweepstakes model can't easily coexist as a matter of legislative logic - legalizing one while banning the other is the same move several states have proposed (Ohio and Virginia both paired iGaming legalization with a sweepstakes ban in their own 2026 bills). D.C.'s version simply hasn't reached a vote yet.
How does D.C. compare to Maryland and Virginia next door?
All three jurisdictions in the D.C. metro area had a real 2026 attempt and none of them finished it. Maryland's HB 1226 passed the House 134-2 - about as lopsided a vote as this industry sees anywhere - before dying in Senate Budget & Taxation when the session ended; the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency backed it and is expected to refile in 2027. Virginia's HB 161 and SB 118 would have paired iGaming legalization with a sweepstakes ban, similar to D.C.'s own bill, but each chamber rejected the other's version and the session ended before conference resolved it. D.C.'s Council Bill 26-0656 is the only one of the three still technically alive, if only because it hasn't had a vote to kill it yet.
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