FanDuel app offline in D.C. as mayor returns budget unsigned

The latest: On Tuesday afternoon, Bowser ended up returning the $21 billion budget unsigned to the D.C. Council — stopping short of a veto.

• The move technically allows provisions of the budget to take effect without her signature, which her office tells Axios should resolve the pause on online sports wagering.
• Bowser took the rare step because she disagreed with the council's decision to enact a "mansion tax" and raise taxes on businesses. She called on lawmakers to spend the summer finding more cuts to government services — due to slow-growing city revenues.

What they're saying: "The Council's budget does not recognize the reality of our fiscal environment: revenues are growing at two percent per year while the costs of doing the basics are growing even faster," Bowser wrote in a letter to D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson on Tuesday.

The other side: Mendelson criticized Bowser's decision, arguing in a statement to Axios that her original budget proposal would have raised a different set of taxes on businesses, too.

• "The final budget has fostered very little criticism from the community at large," Mendelson said. "Only the Mayor seems to still be upset."

The fine print: While the budget was in limbo on Tuesday morning, FanDuel had announced to users that it did not have authorization to keep running its app or its online wagering partnership at D.C. United's Audi Field.

• D.C. passed legislation opening the sports betting marketplace to other third parties, but that can't happen until the budget takes effect. BetMGM said it was launching its own app in D.C. on Monday, but a spokesperson said it was delayed.

What's ahead: The full budget will go to Congress for a standard 30-day review period. Fiscal year 2025 begins in October.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to add details about Mayor Bowser returning the budget unsigned.