SIDELINES : D.C. Dumps Sport Lottery Game

The District of Columbia, fighting an uphill battle to get a National League expansion team, has thrown out a proposal to create a lottery game that would allow residents to vote on professional sporting events.

D.C. Councilman Frank Smith, who is also chairman of the city’s baseball commission, said the game would cripple efforts of the nation’s capital to return a major league team to the city.

The D.C. lottery board tentatively approved legalized sports gambling May 2 and planned to launch its “Sports Pool Lottery” with football betting when the NFL season opens in September.

The district council took the emergency action, which does not require a 60-day congressional review period, on Tuesday because of the lottery board’s intention to move quickly to establish the sports lottery. The measure, effective for 90 days, would prohibit the board from establishing lotteries to bet on football, basketball and other professional sports. The council is expected to permanently bar sports lotteries.