Maryland Considers 10 Sports Betting Apps for End of Year Launch
Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images for MGM National Harbor. Pictured: The sportsbook at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, circa Dec. 2021.
Ten sports betting apps have applied to do business in Maryland, according to a regulatory meeting agenda posted Tuesday:
Nearly two years after Maryland voters legalized sports betting via the ballot, their online market is slated to open by late November or early December.
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission could deem each of the 10 applicants on their agenda qualified during its next meeting Thursday. Most of these operators already have some sort of physical or retail presence in the state, which should expedite the process.
Maryland could license up to 60 online sportsbooks under its 2020 ballot measure, though it could take years for so many to apply.
Once the Maryland Lottery deems an applicant eligible, the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission will meet Nov. 21 to grant final approvals.
At a previous meeting, regulators said it could take one or two weeks for online betting to start once that happens — setting up Marylanders to have online betting by Dec. 5 at the latest.
The commission previously granted alternative licensing standards to several Maryland casinos, which launched retail sports betting last December.
Maryland’s delay is the longest of any state to legalize online sports betting since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Murphy v. NCAA.
Earlier this Summer Gov. Larry Hogan demanded SWARC and the Maryland Lottery expedite their online licensing process, and since then, regulators have moved a lot swifter — music to the ears of gaming companies and eager bettors.
How would you rate this article?