The official launch of Maryland online sports betting is fast approaching, and operators and regulator alike are gearing up.
Seven of the 10 licensed Maryland sports betting apps, from BetMGM Maryland Sportsbook to PointsBet Maryland Sportsbook, will open their virtual doors Wednesday, allowing the Old Line State to join the likes of Kansas and New York, which also launched mobile operations in 2022.
For industry insiders, such as UNLV International Gaming Institute Distinguished Fellow Becky Harris, the Maryland sports betting launch will be one to keep an eye on.
Maryland Sports Betting Market Intrigues Industry Insiders
Harris told BetMaryland.com she sees Maryland as one of most interesting betting markets in the country, thanks to its mixture of diversity and inclusion metrics for operators and brand options available to users.
“Well, the interesting thing about Maryland is the legislature in that particular state was very conscious about allowing new market entrants to have the ability to have access to sports wagering,” Harris told BetMaryland.com “And so, they have the most diversity and inclusion (metrics), in terms of how their sports wagering licenses are constituted. So, it's going to be really interesting to see how that plays out in Maryland in terms of operators and vendors and suppliers. I'm excited to see what happens there.”
Harris believes Maryland could stack up favorably to its southern neighbor, Virginia, given the state’s professional sports teams (the Commanders and Ravens in the NFL, along with the Orioles in the MLB) and sports-rich culture.
She also believes Maryland could very well draw bettors from Washington, D.C., where mobile sports betting options are limited to the DC Lottery’s GambetDC platform.
“Maryland has a border with Virginia and Washington, DC. And all of those states now offer sports wagering,” Harris said. “So, I think that area of the country begins to be a little more stable. And residents will have the opportunity to wager in their own home areas. And so, you'll probably see some people from DC may be coming over to place wagers in Maryland, because Maryland's a little more open.”
For all the Maryland sportsbook promos on launch day, make sure to check out BetMaryland.com.
What Advice Regulators Give Maryland Sports Betting Leaders
Kansas, the most recent state to launch sports betting, certainly did so with more speed than Maryland. But while there are plenty of differences in the two states, there is much to learn from Kansas’ opening two-plus months of operation.
So far, Kansas sportsbooks have taken in more than $350 million in wagers between six licensed operators.
“With us getting sports wagering up and running as fast as we did, it was really a collaborative effort upon everybody's doing,” said DJ Lopez, who serves as the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission’s director of sports wagering and licensing. “Everyone, from regulatory to the lottery to the platforms, working with each other to get this all done.
“I think there are competitors, but I think we all came together. And once you all come together, and you get on the same page, it can move pretty fast. They did move faster than we wanted to do. Absolutely. But we were on a timeline. And I think with that collaborative effort, we got it up and running and got it up and going as smooth as we could and put a good product out for the patrons of the state of Kansas.”
Maryland, which has nearly three times the population (6,177,224, vs. 2,937,880) of Kansas, will likely pull off a very lucrative launch of its own.
BetMaryland.com previously projected Maryland sports betting handle could be $4.612 billion during its first full year of operation, ranking behind Illinois ($5.5 billion) and Arizona ($5.43 billion), but ahead of Virginia ($3.22 billion) and Washington DC ($34.7 million).
“I think that would be one bit of advice that I would give is, that it’s just a collaborative effort on everybody's part, and that communication was huge for us, as well,” Lopez said.
BetMaryland is the place to be for BetMGM Maryland bonuses, as well as promos from other operators.
