WASHINGTON D.C. (Aug. 3, 2020) – William Hill US, America’s leading sports book operator, today marked the official opening of its first-ever location in Washington D.C. – and first-ever within a U.S. sports complex – with ceremonial first bets placed by inaugural season ticket holders from the Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics. The temporary sports book is located inside the Capital One Arena Box Office at 601 F Street, NW. Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), led by founder, chairman, principal partner and chief executive officer, Ted Leonsis, is the parent company of the Washington Capitals, Wizards, Mystics and Capital One Arena. Its timing coincides with the return of professional sports following the hiatus all leagues imposed in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic.
"Washington, D.C. is known for its dedicated sports fans, and we’re excited to finally bring them a new way to engage with their favorite teams. Being the first to open a retail location in a professional sports venue wouldn’t be possible without our relationship with Ted Leonsis and his team at Monumental," said Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US. "Our teams are working hard to finalize the permanent sports book, restaurant and bar concept we originally envisioned inside the arena."
Inaugural season ticket holders since the 1973/74 season of the Washington Capitals, from the 1973/74 season of the Washington Wizards and the 1998 season of the Mystics placed today’s ceremonial first bets. Mr. David Feldman (Capitals), Mr. David Dwornik (Wizards) and Ms. Angela Tilghman (Mystics) each placed bets on their respective teams, using lucky numbers with hopes of winning big.
"We are so pleased to mark this day with three of the most dedicated team fans who propel our players towards excellence on the court or on the ice and for whom Monumental Sports & Entertainment continually innovates," said Jim Van Stone, President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer, MSE. "And we couldn’t be more excited to couple this new dimension of a sports experience with the return to play across all of our leagues. William Hill has been a terrific partner with a reputation for excellence in service and maintaining the highest level of integrity in their process, and we look forward to welcoming many familiar and new visitors to the arena to check it out."
Inside the arena’s box office, visitors will find seven ticket windows and ten kiosks and a seamless experience for placing bets. The facility will be open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Design and construction on the permanent William Hill Sports Book are underway, and it is expected to open in the fall of 2020, pending regulatory approval. The sports book will have full-service food and beverage offerings, complemented by the premium sports betting facilities that are synonymous with the brand. William Hill is the exclusive sports betting partner of the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns all three sports league franchises as well as Capital One Arena.
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About William Hill
William Hill PLC is one of the world's leading betting and gaming companies, employing over 12,500 people. Its origins are in the UK where it was founded in 1934, and where the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. With headquarters in London and Leeds it has a national presence of licensed betting offices in Great Britain and is one of the country’s leading online betting and gaming services. In 2012, it established William Hill US with a focus on retail and mobile operations in Nevada, which is now the largest sports betting business in the USA. William Hill US (www.williamhill.us) currently operates 114 race and sports books in Nevada and the state's leading mobile sports betting app. In New Jersey, William Hill is operating at Monmouth Park Racetrack, Ocean Resort Casino, Tropicana Atlantic City, and online with the William Hill New Jersey sports betting app. William Hill also is operating sports books in Indiana, West Virginia, and Iowa, and online with the William Hill Iowa sports betting app. William Hill is a licensed sports betting provider in numerous casinos in Mississippi and New Mexico, and serves as the exclusive risk manager for the Delaware and Rhode Island sports lotteries. In October 2019, William Hill signed an agreement with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to build and operate a sports book at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., subject to regulatory approval. William Hill has licensed operations in The Bahamas, Italy, Spain and Sweden and serves online customers in the UK and throughout the world from its digital hubs in Gibraltar and Malta. In February 2019, it completed the acquisition of MRG Group, acquiring the Mr. Green and Redbet brands, and with it an expanded pan-European footprint in faster growing online betting and gaming markets.
About Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is America’s leading sports and entertainment family. Our people, players, teams, and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans, and our people. To learn more, please visit www.monumentalsports.com.
PR Contacts:
William Hill
Adrienne Prather-Marcos
Aprather-marcos@williamhill.us
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Anu Rangappa
arangappa@monumentalsports.com
