Is there light at the end of the tunnel for online Maryland sports betting?
Sports bettors in the Old Line State have endured a prolonged online sports betting rollout after the state launched retail sports wagering at five sportsbooks last December. Now, they may finally have an answer.
On Thursday, the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) announced that the state’s regulators have agreed to approve online sports betting on a rolling basis.
That, perhaps, will provide clarity for the many bettors that were “clamoring to get this thing going,” according to Commissioner Randy Mariner.
Maryland legislation allows up to 60 online sports betting licenses (more than double the amount of licenses of any current state), with an application deadline date of Oct. 21.
Launch Now Possible in Late Nov.
The first legal Maryland sports betting apps are now projected to launch near the end of the NFL regular season in November or December, but only if SWARC obtains less than 60 online sports betting applicants by the October deadline.
Jim Nielsen, deputy director of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, announced in a previous BetMaryland.com story that online sports gambling could launch by the Super Bowl in February.
It was announced Thursday that the sportsbooks would open on a rolling basis, meaning operators can go live once they are approved, rather than waiting on a universal launch date. This allows SWARC to expedite the process of going live to sports gaming patrons in the state.
Currently, there are seven retail sportsbooks in the state partnered with BetMGM Maryland, FanDuel Maryland, Caesars Maryland, TwinSpires Maryland, Barstool Sportsbook Maryland, BetRivers Maryland and PointsBet Maryland, which should make for a smooth transition for those companies to offer their online product to sports bettors.
Applicants awarded a license by SWARC for an online sports betting license must complete a “controlled demonstration of its operation before Lottery and Gaming issues a license.”
BetMaryland.com is a good source for the top Maryland sports betting promos.
Maryland Casinos Off in August After Record July
The month of August didn’t fare as well as July for retail Maryland casinos.
That could be because, in part, July having one more weekend than August.
Anyway, revenue at Maryland’s six casinos fell by 6.7% from the previous month. The figure was a slight uptick of 0.5% from August 2021.
Here are the revenue figures for each casino:
- MGM National Harbor: $71.8 million
- Live! Casino and Hotel: $56.8 million
- Horseshoe Baltimore: $17.2 million
- Ocean Downs (Berlin): $10.5 million
- Hollywood Casino (Perryville): $7.2 million.
- Rocky Gap (Flintstone): $5.8 million
