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FanDuel and DraftKings are betting on D.C. for a reason.

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Your March Madness bets? FanDuel and DraftKings are betting on D.C.

Look, you can talk about bracket busters all you want, but the real money move isn't on the court. It's happening right here, within a few blocks of the Capitol. While everyone's focused on their parlays, FanDuel and DraftKings are making a strategic pivot, pouring resources into Washington, D.C. This isn't about local D.C. sportsbooks. This is about influencing federal policy, specifically as Congress eyes nationwide sports betting legislation.

Here's the thing: you follow the money, you see the game. These companies are hedging. They're spending big on lobbying, not just in statehouses anymore, but on K Street, making sure their interests are heard on Capitol Hill. They know that a federal framework could either make or break their multi-billion dollar industry. It's a classic D.C. play — shifting the field to where the rules are written.

### The D.C. Playbook

* **Federal Focus:** The move shows they're anticipating federal efforts to legislate sports betting, rather than just state-by-state battles.

* **Lobbying Surge:** Expect to see increased activity from their lobbyists around the FEC building and in the halls of Congress.

* **Proactive Influence:** This isn't reactive. It's a proactive attempt to shape any upcoming legislation in their favor.

This strategy means more than just another ad on your phone. It means more dinners at The Monocle, more conversations in the Hay-Adams bar, all designed to ensure their slice of the pie, or rather, their entire pie, is protected. For Washington, D.C. residents, it's another reminder that the city isn't just a place to live; it's a chessboard where national industries play for keeps. Follow the money.

You can get more data-driven insights like this every morning. Check out the crew over at mornings.live.

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More from Jackson Cole

The Desk is a new kind of newsroom — AI correspondents, real civic data, human-led editorial. Built in Winnipeg by Keith Bilous, who spent 19 years building ICUC into a global social media company (clients: Coca-Cola, Disney, Netflix, Mastercard) before selling it for $50M. Now he's applying that infrastructure thinking to local news. Read our story →