GambetDC: Sportsbook Reviews

by Jcappelli95

Like many others I was excited to use this app when sports betting was legalized in DC. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to successfully place a bet on their app. For over a year I’ve been trying to setup my account with no success. Like all sports betting apps, this app requires and identity verification, they use LexisNexis to do so. What that means is if your information doesn’t exactly match what LexisNexis has in their system you’ll never be able to set up your account; because unlike every other sports betting app I’ve ever used this app doesn’t allow manual identity verification.

To get to the bottom of this took hours of trying to contact their “customer service,” only to be told to contact Lexisnexis. They put me through the whole process again then sent me a letter saying I had to wait 120 days for the change to be implemented. After that much effort you can imagine my frustration five months later when I still can’t set up an account. It seems I’m not alone in this experience after talking to several others that have encountered the same issue.

No wonder GambetDC is significantly underperforming their revenue forecasts to the city. An app no one can set up an account on paired with utter incompetence in the service department. And all of this could be avoided if they allowed manual identity verification. It’s an easy step that seems obvious to implement.

by HibachiAgentZero

I’ve used Gambet for a little over a year, but it is just terrible and I can’t take it anymore. GambetDC crashing on Super Bowl Sunday and the $10 free bet for the inconvenience was a total miss by them, and it was the last straw for me. I tried using the free $10 bet when GambetDC came back online, but turns out you could only use it on the day of the crash. Which is quite curious considering their online mobile webpage can’t locate you so it won’t allow you to bet and GambetDC didn’t come back until the following day, so I never got to use it! What a joke! Gonna take my money to the established gambling companies around capital one and nats park, goodbye Gambet!

by D Donayre

GambetDC itself was difficult to register. Verification link didn’t work. Deposit didn’t work on 3 cards (BofA Debit, Cap One, Discover) had to use a 4th and finally worked. Withdraw feature does Not work and the Payment Support team has yet to respond to me via email in 3 days. general support stated to MANUALLY email Bank Information to withdraw as “all Withdrawals are currently Manual”. Insane and suspect to email theft. Core functions for this service is lacking with no support to fulfill. Oh, and no promotions. Willing to change rating as improvements are made, hopefully.

by Djis1111

Worst sports betting app on the market, period. Buggy, inconsistent, crashes all the time. Developers blame the city for offering terrible odds as the reason it’s not producing as much revenue as hoped (true that the odds are much worse than the other apps and actual sports books offer), but the real culprit is how terrible GambetDC is. I’ve missed countless bets because of GambetDC .

DC needs to end this failed experiment and let the real sports books with functioning apps into the city. Stop wasting taxpayer money trying to self-manage where better commercial options already exist. Just tax their revenues and call it a day.

by Bmer11229

I was really excited to try this app only to realize how awful GambetDC is. It’s extremely confusing, you have to enter your person banking and identity information multiple times when setting up your account. The transactions are not clear and concise and GambetDC is extremely lagged. I went to place a bet and deposited money into GambetDC and the funds never “went through” so I tried it again and again. Three times total. The. 20 minutes later I check my bank account and all charges were pulled out of my bank account and after 30 minutes those funds appeared in my app balance. I called to see if I can get those funds transferred back into my account because it was an error on their end that GambetDC didn’t refresh In time and they said no, only when you close the account you can move out the fund you deposited in. So now I have a whole bunch of my money sitting in GambetDC . At least I was Able to withdraw my winnings, but not the extra money I put into GambetDC .

by Manthannn

Both the mobile and desktop versions of GambetDC/platform are absolutely awful, and have been since the beginning. It is extremely glitchy, locks out bets ALL the time, and has major issues with logging in and registering bets. I placed two bets a couple days ago — both of which would have won — and logged in the next day to find that they never registered. This has happened repeatedly.

This is one of the rare instances where I would beg the city to allow a large profit-driven company to come in and offer its services. Gambet literally has the functionality of a 1990s 1st Gen betting platform.

by Gringoinmiami

Glitchy requiring a deletion and re-install frequently. Also, I only bet mlb and the odds are insulting compared to market. AND even while totally out of whack, they don’t even have all games available some days! I’m like WHY when clearly the vig is loaded. You maybe asking why I use it when my complaint is on the lines of “the food here is terrible and the portions are small”, well IT IS THE ONLY CHOICE! Ha Ha Ha get it?? When I see a play that will profit me, I have to make the bet and deal with it because I don’t have time to run to the book and the offshore books are problematic with funding. Criminal. This what happens with a monopoly and that is what dc gov has here.

by Jackie.dc

I was placing a first time sports bet for fun with some friends and downloaded GambetDC . I registered and tried to deposit $200 which is all I was trying to bet. It showed nothing in my account so I tried one more time. A few minutes later it showed $600 in the account which was transferred from my bank account. I placed my $200 bet then tried later to transfer back my account funds to my bank. GambetDC just kept crashing and wouldn’t open. I deleted it and tried again. Still kept crashing. I never got in but used the pc version. It wouldn’t let me transfer the money back. Garbage app.

by Discovol

Typical DC customer service. They didn't credit my account a bonus I had earned. They responded 5 days later telling me it's been added to my account and I have 7 days to use it. I didn't check the message until a well later so lost the bonus. Tried to get help with a bet...one person just left me in the chat and never finished helping me so I had to start over. The next person asked me the same questions over and over only to tell me she would need to transfer me to someone who dealt with betting questions. Why did she waste 15 minutes of my time is she knew she wasn't going to be able to help??

by Anon98765432

I moved to DC from Michigan. In Michigan you have options and competition between apps when you make your bets. You can gamble from anywhere and use up to 5+ apps. The apps are established and reputable (DraftKings, fanduel, mgm, barstool, etc)

In DC, you can stand near Cap One Arena, wait in line and place a bet like in the 1980’s before internet and cell phones, or use the Gambet app. An app that has horrible odds compared to competitors (who are not allowed in the market), and in my case won’t allow me to make an account.

The city is missing out on so much money. Reading into how Gambet/Intralot got the contract is hilarious. No bid contract. No competition. Just a monopoly to make an absolutely awful product, with no need to compete with other district wide apps. They are doing worse than GambetDC that you have to stand by Cap One Arena to use.

Hopefully DC can get out of this 5 year contract. Because I won’t be spending a dime until their is a trustworthy district-wide option.

by Unhappycust1

They will not help you with registration issues and will happily drag the process out over months. I was recently on a call with support trying to understand the hold up on my account and the rep became hostile and nearly screamed at me when I pressed for detail beyond their advice to wait for an email from their tech team (I’ve been waiting for 5-6 weeks for such an email and have had issues with their support team for months). Reading the reviews, my experience is not unique at all. Do not use GambetDC! There are better alternatives, however, they sadly are not accessible city wide. I hope they shut this down soon so a more established and customer focused vendor can function in the district.

by GameBetDC = The Worst

The clunky-ness of GambetDC has been written about ad nauseam and that fact shouldn’t be overlooked. If you’re used to using Draft Kings or Fan Duel in other states, using GambetDC is like going back in time and using MS-DOS. Nothing intuitive about it. Must have been designed by middle schoolers as part of a school project.

The technological shortcomings aside, the customer service is equally awful. I placed a bet on an NFL game that ended up being postponed to a later date because of COVID. The book refused to refund my money! Any credible book would have immediately cancelled the bet. Use GambetDC at your own risk.

My advice - wait until January 2021 when Virginia will have Draft Kings available. Just drive across the Key Bridge and place your bets using Draft Kings using their modern app.

by LeeKinsella

It’s almost impossible to use the promo codes they provide you with because once you type it into the bet slip, it doesn’t get applied automatically. It gets hidden in the “promotions” tab which usually crashes GambetDC as soon as you get there. And then when you re-open GambetDC , it says you can no longer use the promo. Even when you do use the promo, they don’t follow through on the actual promotion (refunding you a certain amount if your bet loses) and you lose all of your money. The support is also 0 help because no one there seems to have any idea what’s going on. This is a classic case of monopoly from DC Lottery since they’re the only legal game in town outside of Navy Yard. Highly recommend using a bookie instead of this racket.

by Hoosiers In 2021

As the title says, GambetDC is pretty poorly done but whatever it is what it is. After the initial frustrations you are bound to have with signing up and depositing money you will be equally disappointed in GambetDC and customer service backing it.

There is a bonus promotion that once you make your first deposit and make a $5 or more wager you receive a free $25 bet. However, GambetDC will not let you use the promotional bet when it comes to finalizing the wager.

I reached out to customer service to find out what the issue was and they kept saying I placed the bet and lost it yet I had never placed the bet. I said please tell me the date of the bet and they told me a date that I had not placed a wager. They then told me the date was when I first opened the account/placed my first $5 wager. Yet that was the only bet I made. Then they keep saying they need to “talk to my manager” and will get back to me.

I don’t know who runs this but they seem to be completely incompetent or else they are just automated responses without looking into the issue. Either way GambetDC and all is very poor quality.

by Ap723625

This is, by far, one of the worst apps I’ve ever used. It is not only extremely clunky (especially when compared to DK or FanDuel), but I am running into technical issues every step of the way. I have used many other gambling apps in different states, and have never had a single issue.

Intralot was awarded a no-bid contract through a very corrupt process that was exposed wonderfully by the Washington Post. You cannot find a site that offers worse odds. They will claim it’s because of this “lottery style” system that is set up. Right, because other states are losing money hand over fist by offering fair odds to their constituents. Soon, every state will be bankrupt because DraftKings and FanDuel can operate there, and only DC will be left standing. We are so lucky.

We can only hope that one day other companies will be allowed to operate in the District. Until then, we are stuck with this steaming pile of crap.

by Jake1034

The only decent thing about GambetDC (and this app overall) is the customer service live chat reps (after you can get the live chat function working. It crashes often). They are very helpful, but I have nothing to compare them to…because I’ve never once needed support from DraftKings, Fanduel..etc. Aside from the terrible odds, the glitchy odds, etc., the fact that you can’t withdraw your own money that hasn’t been bet on is abhorrent. (As a warning: this is true for any money you put in. I know sportsbooks have limitations when you sign up with a promotional offer or use free bets. But I put in $300, only made $35 in bets, and then wanted to withdraw the other $265. Gamebet will not allow you to without permanently closing your account.)

Fortunately I don’t have a gambling problem (I just don’t like my money sitting in random apps on my phone), but this behavior has to just fuel addictions. It should be illegal.

by Cdubz In Dc

Usually I follow my grandmother’s advice but I must warn others. GambetDC is really terrible. The only it’s got going for it is the monopoly it has in the vast majority of our capital city.

In additional to being poorly designed, buggy, and wonky, I’ve had several specifically bad experiences. For example, it went down on the super bowl, stranding my deposits and preventing me from placing bets. Or the time they assigned long-shot odds to a likely outcome. I placed the bet (took screen shots) and they changed the bet (more screen shots) days later. They did not admit the mistake, pay out my winnings, not return my original bet.

Their props are lame. They are generally not comparable to the competitive apps. Stay away.

by Cannond95

It’s great that DC has a sports betting app. However I have been disappointed with GambetDC ’s UI, the line odds are not great, and the promos are not well defined and do not always apply. I called customer service to confirm a risk-free promo had applied, the rep informed me it did not, and advised me to place the bet again. I did so while on the phone with her, and it did not apply again. No explanation and there was no way to void a bet due to their error. I hope they improve their interface soon.

by OMW2FYBiiii

GambetDC design and layout is pretty clean and easy to navigate, especially when compared to their website.

Of course, just like the website, there are issues with the geolocation component. I live in DC, but too close to Maryland according to the support staff. If I walk across the street, sometimes it works.... sometimes I have to walk another couple blocks. If they can clean up the geolocation issues they can get more bets...

by Snuggiepuss

I’ve had nothing but good experiences with this app. Some folks I see have had technical issues but I have not. They follow through on the matched deposit when you sign up, too. A buddy of mine won and had his winnings in his bank account in a few days. People need to stop complaining. Sure, GambetDC has malfunctioned a few times (mainly a few games that disappeared from the schedule and you couldn’t bet on) but it’s been great overall.

by A_b_randon

I’m sure everyone else has mentioned the terrible interface GambetDC has, I couldn’t even register without getting super frustrated because of the bugs in the sign up page alone. I can only imagine what the actual app feels like, yikes.

by William E. 1991

There should be an easier way to deposit money. As soon as I made an account there was not way to deposit funds.

by TrottyB

Customer service was unhelpful and were not able to provide any details about problems I was having with GambetDC . Do not recommend.

by TheAlphetmist

GambetDC is horrible. DC once again just wants to make money as usual making sports betting only through the DC Lottery.

GambetDC crashes, has bugs, GPS location is trash, odds are trash, user interface is trash.

I can’t wait until FanDuel and DraftKings are allowed in DC

by DC Football Club

Horrible platform with a lot of bugs that need to be fixed. Won’t take any of my cards and say they are expired when they clearly are not. Very disappointed. I didn’t even get to play a bet, but I’d be scared to get my money back

by Stanhopes

GambetDC is only slightly better than the browser website that was offensive to any developer. DC knocked it out of the park by eliminating competition with this terrible product. Oh, the odds are the worst you’ll find anywhere so folks like me will continue using “other” sources.

by Chelsea_fan

Don’t waste your time on this. No positives about it. One would think with the extra time due to covid they would get GambetDC to work

by Oliversmom69

This is a garbage app. You put money in and then try to be but most areas are “restricted zones.” You try to take your money back out or cash out and you have to send someone (VIA EMAIL) your routing number and personal info. You’ll do nothing but waste and lose money on GambetDC. You’ll begin placing crazy bets just to lose and get out and away of GambetDC . I literally have $25 on jimmy johnson to win some nascar race I’ll never watch. But might as well go big. I’ll never see that cash again.

by Stormdrain819

Leave it to DC to think they can develop an app on their own for a service that they know nothing about. Why not just go w William Hill or one of the major casinos who actually know what they are doing? Funding the account is a disaster, certain sports are not even shown (eg Stanley Cup futures). When I entered the chat w the support person and asked about this, they said “there are no NHL” games going on now. When I asked about futures (Stanley cup playoffs that are about to start), they had no idea what I was walking about.

Buyer beware on this one. Hopefully the get better but not a great experience right now.

by Jojoe1212

First off, signing up was a hassle and needed to email support to finish it. THEN i proceeded to get declined on every payment method (BOA, Capital One, Discover) and have totally given up. How hard is it to make a formidable sports gambling app when companies like Fanduel, William Hill, and DraftKings have done it perfectly. The layout of GambetDC itself isn’t terrible but it’s bad. It seems they tasked a grade school child to create it as a stay at home project one week.

I’m telling everyone now on here, don’t waste your time on GambetDC. DC has totally screwed this one up and should have followed suit on what West Virginia did. I guess I’ll just continue driving an hour and a half to Harpers Ferry to place bets.

by This Third Blind Mouse

This site is totally in accessible for the blind and visually impaired. What does the developer think? Blind and visually impaired people do not want to gamble? GambetDC does not even earn one star. Go back to the drawing board!

by Dike Crapaport

GambetDC design and layout is pretty clean and easy to navigate, especially when compared to their website.

Of course, just like the website, there are issues with the geolocation component. I live in DC, but too close to Maryland according to the support staff. If I walk across the street, sometimes it works.... sometimes I have to walk another couple blocks. If they can clean up the geolocation issues they can get more bets...

by TK Demir

Dc gov pay a lot money you guys can’t figure out use some real geolocation apps?

It’s lame