Published on: February 6, 2026, 12:38h.
Updated on: February 5, 2026, 01:40h.
- A 2024 opinion piece by the Washington Post criticized legal sports wagering.
- This week, around one-third of the newspaper’s workforce was laid off in Washington.
The Washington Post remains in the spotlight after the prominent daily based in the capital city cut its workforce by a third on Wednesday.
The most significant losses included the sports department, which is being completely shut down. Noteworthy former Post sports writers featured John Feinstein, Michael Wilbon, and Tony Kornheiser, who later created and hosted ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” as well as Christine Brennan, the first woman to report on the Washington Commanders, known previously as the Redskins, in 1985.
Washington, DC, has struggled to establish itself as a genuine sports hub compared to other East Coast cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Critics have pointed out that the capital’s transient, politically-focused populace often seems too distracted by governmental affairs to fully support their local teams.
“For decades, the Post regarded sports as an essential aspect of life in the District. Regardless of what the rest of the nation thought about Washington’s teams and audiences, there was no better place to read sports coverage than in the capital,” commented Associated Press journalist Noah Trister.
Scott Van Pelt, who began his sportscasting career in DC at FOX5 and now hosts “SportsCenter at Night” from Washington, also voiced his thoughts on the job reductions at the Post.
“Growing up reading the Post, I had no idea it wasn’t like this elsewhere. I didn’t realize how fortunate we were to have talents like Kornheiser, Wilbon, Boswell, Kindred, and Feinstein,” SVP shared on X.
Washington Post Sports Betting Perspectives
The Washington Post’s sports section is reminisced fondly by former department members. However, when it came to the legalization of sports betting nationwide—a shift enabled by a May 2018 ruling from the US Supreme Court—the Post did not support it.
In a December 2024 editorial, the Washington Post Editorial Board characterized the legalization of sports betting as a “poor gamble.” This piece was one of many efforts where WaPo editors expressed their opposition to the pivotal SCOTUS decision, arguing that legalized sports betting has harmed society, especially vulnerable populations.
“As the availability of addictive activities, like gambling, increases, so does the likelihood of addiction. Consequently, issues such as problem gambling and financial turmoil—leading to bankruptcies, job losses, and worse—are burgeoning,” stated the December 2024 editorial.
The WaPo editors attributed these complications to the sportsbooks themselves.
“While legalized sports betting was meant to enable gambling operators to identify and assist problem gamblers, the opposite is occurring: high rollers who are on losing streaks are targeted and pampered as VIPs, given quick credit and various incentives, tempting them to gamble even more—to ‘chase’ their losses, as the industry puts it. In contrast, those who manage to win big find their betting limits severely restricted,” the op-ed elaborated.
Current Sports Betting Environment
Currently, sports betting is permitted in 39 states, including the District of Columbia. In Washington, DC, bettors are allowed to place wagers both online and in physical locations.
Individuals aged 18 and over can legally participate in sports betting activities in DC.