The D.C. Council on Tuesday narrowly authorized the city to grant a sole-source contract to run its new foray into online sports betting, a move that concerns critics who say the lucrative deal should be competitively bid. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who championed sports betting and the sole-source contract, insisted that any money saved by competitive bidding would be offset by the revenue lost while companies compete for the contract. Others said they were not convinced that a sole-source contract was necessary to launch sports gambling quickly. Lawmakers held a public hearing on the bill last week, when DeWitt said the sole-source contract was not politically motivated and critics warned that the city was setting a dangerous precedent. The D.C. Council on Tuesday also unanimously passed several bills to help federal workers during future government shutdowns.

Source: Washington Post February 05, 2019 21:33 UTC