As the regulated sports betting industry heats up around the country, Maryland retail sports betting is already live and mobile sports betting could be launched by the end of 2022.
Senate Bill HB940 was signed into law by Gov. Larry Hogan in May 2021. Online and mobile betting regulations in Maryland will begin to be enacted ahead of the online launch.
Hogan had called for the launch of online sports betting in time for the start of the 2022 NFL season, but that is unlikely. The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) this week opened the process to apply for mobile sports betting and Class B facility sports wagering licenses. There is a 45-day window for sports betting operators to apply, making the end of 2022 a real possibility for going live.
How Many Marylanders Are Betting?
With retail Maryland sports betting live, more than one in seven Maryland adults currently bet on sports, which puts the number around 15%. When online sports betting launches nearly one in four Maryland adults are likely to bet on sports. On the flip side, around 56% of Marylanders are very unlikely to place a sports wager when Maryland online sports betting is live.
How Often Will Marylanders Bet?
Of the Maryland adults surveyed, more than 40% of Maryland sports bettors are expected to bet on sports weekly. The survey also showed that nearly one in four Maryland sports bettors expects to bet on sports monthly.
Crossing Borders to Bet
According to the survey, one in five sports bettors in Maryland has admitted to traveling to Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Virginia, Delaware, or even New Jersey to place a legal bet.
Sports Betting Brand Preference
We’re not entirely sure of the full landscape of Maryland Sports betting, but with retail betting live in the state, operators already have their feet in the door and the brand preference varies from DraftKings to BetRivers.
Event Betting Preference
Each state is responsible for its own legislation and deciding individual rules for its markets. This means each state can have its own restrictions on betting and different offerings on events. Nearly one in six bettors would bet on college sports if it was available to them.
Survey Details
BetMaryland.com commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct this survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size is 1,003 Maryland adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between May 14 – May 30, 2021. The survey was carried out online and the figures have been weighted and are representative of all Maryland adults aged 18 and over. A sports bettor is defined as someone who selected “Yes, I do” when asked if they currently bet on sports. A sports fan is defined as a respondent to select at least “I am a little bit interested in sports” in a four-point scaled level of interest in sports question. An avid sports fan is defined as a respondent to select “This is one of my TOP interests” in a four-point scaled level of interest in sports question OR Those to select top box in a four-point scaled level of interest in sports question.
