With mobile sports betting in Maryland launching the day before Thanksgiving, the wheels are already in motion for getting more online betting operators in play.
The Lottery & Gaming Control Commission will hold hearings on the qualifications for five more Maryland sports betting apps Thursday.
The commission is expected to hear that two entities connected with WynnBET; two entities connected with Bally’s Interactive, and a fifth entity, Digital Gaming Corporation (associated with the Betway brand), have so far been recommended by Lottery & Gaming staff as qualified.
Assuming the Lottery & Gaming Commission votes to approve that any or all the entities are qualified for licensing, the information will be forwarded to the state Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) which decides whether to award the licenses. SWARC’s next regularly scheduled meeting is Dec. 14.
After SWARC approval, the entities return to Lottery & Gaming for final phase approvals including a controlled demonstration of operations and procedures.
WynnBet, Bally’s Looking to Join Market
On Thursday, the Lottery & Gaming Control Commission will consider the qualifications for the WynnBET entities and Bally’s Interactive entities for both a Mobile Sports Wagering License and an Online Sports Wagering Operator License.
The qualification decision for Digital Gaming Corporation is for a Mobile Sports Wagering License.
When mobile sports wagering launched in Maryland last Wednesday, it was with seven online operators. Three others had also been awarded licenses by the SWARC but were not ready for final phase approvals last week and still must go through their controlled demonstrations.
Lottery & Gaming reported no major systemic difficulties during the launch of mobile wagering in Maryland.
The operators who launched last week were FanDuel Sportsbook Maryland, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, PointsBet, BetRivers and Barstool Sportsbook.
Maryland Sports Betting Off to Fast Start
With brand names like BetMGM Sportsbook Maryland launching last Wednesday, the state’s market got off to a fast start.
Location services company GeoComply said it tracked 16.5 million transactions in the state from 9 a.m. Wednesday through 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That was nearly double the number of transactions made in Virginia at the same time. And it was more than the combined transactions made in Virginia and Indiana during that time period.
“A strong start for the regulated market delivers on the promise of new revenues and consumer protections,” GeoComply senior vice president of compliance Lindsay Slader said. “Marylanders will continue to ditch illegal offshore sportsbooks for the security of legal, regulated operators that provide player safeguards and tax dollars for the state, just as lawmakers intended.”
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