Capital One Arena could be open for sports betting as early as April — if Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has it his way.
Leonsis has been steadfast in his support of legalized sports betting.
"What are we so afraid of?" Leonsis said during an appearance on WTOP's Ask the Owner program Thursday.
He told WTOP he doesn't agree with those who compare sports betting to gambling.
"You’re buying a lottery ticket. That is a game of chance. Wall Street, when you’re buying a stock, you can do a lot of research and study, and I think that’s what it will look like in pro sports,” he said.
He laid out some of his plans for what he wants inside Capital One Arena during in an interview with News4.
"My expectation is that there will be built a very, very high-end world class restaurant called the Sports Book, there will be televisions showing games from all over the world and that people will be able to come in and watch games and dine and bet. And that is something that happens all over the world," Leonsis said.
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His hope is that the arena could open for people during lunch or dinner - not just when there's a game in the venue.
"It'll drive traffic throughout the day, I don’t think 24 by seven, but we would like to be able to utilize where we're located in the city. I'm sure the Nats are looking at something similar."
As for whether you'll be able to place bets on college sports?
"We should use men's sports and pro basketball and hockey indoor sports, Arena Football League before we do Georgetown basketball or the Big East," Leonsis said.
