Clock Ticking for Potential 2022 Launch of Online Sports Betting in Maryland

It’s not a long shot to say that sports bettors in Maryland are starting to get crabby with the seemingly never-ending delay of online sports betting.

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Sports betting officially launched back on Dec. 9, 2021, when Governor Larry Hogan placed a ceremonial $50 wager on the Baltimore Ravens to meet the Washington Commanders in the Super Bowl.

That bet ended up losing, and unfortunately, so has the state, as millions of dollars in tax revenue have been left on the table thanks to a lengthy and confusing process to get online betting rolled out.

Since the inception of legalized sports betting in Maryland, the state has collected approximately $2.9 million in tax revenue (as of July), relying solely on its five active retail sports betting facilities.

To put it in perspective, neighboring Virginia has collected just over $15 million in tax dollars from December 2021 to the end of May 2022.

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Both states are similar in population and share the same 15% tax rate on sports betting. However, over 85% of Virginia’s sports wagers take place online, as is similar in legal states throughout the US.

Maryland’s rollout of online betting has been the slowest of any sports betting state since the US Supreme Court struck down the ban on sports wagering.

Maryland Retail Sportsbooks

Since last December, Marylanders have been able to place in-person bets at retail sportsbooks. There are currently five locations that accept wagers, but the state has the potential for up to 47 sports betting retail licenses and up to 60 online licenses.

Maryland’s five active retail locations

  • MGM National Harbor
  • Horseshoe Baltimore Casino
  • Live! Casino Hotel Maryland
  • Ocean Downs Casino
  • Hollywood Casino Perryville

While bettors have access to a wide variety of sports bets at the retail locations because of the partnerships with major sportsbooks like BetMGM and Caesars, they are missing out on some of the enticing promotions that come with online betting.

For instance, Caesars (partnered with Horseshoe Baltimore Casino) has an online promo where new customers are eligible for a risk-free first bet of up to $1500 with a Caesars Sportsbook Maryland Promo Code. Unfortunately, Marylanders will have to wait until the launch of mobile wagering to take advantage of offers like these.

Maryland will soon have a sixth retail location now that Betfred Sports and Long Shot’s have teamed up to launch a sportsbook partnership that expects to have a temporary site up and running by September. A permanent 8,800-square-foot structure will take its place in early 2023.

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Road to Online Betting Filled With Obstacles

Gov. Larry Hogan made news last month after criticizing the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) for its snail-pace in launching online betting, which he said was costing the state millions of dollars in economic investment and education funding.

In the letter, he called to have mobile wagering in place for the start of the NFL season on Sept. 8.

SWARC Chair Tom Brandt addressed Gov. Hogan’s reproach in a public meeting two days later.

“I understand that many are frustrated that the process relating to the issuance of Maryland’s mobile sports wagering licenses has been time-consuming,” Brandt said. “I also want everyone to know that SWARC and its support team have been operating as diligently and deliberately as we can under the Maryland sports wagering law that we’re tasked to administer.”

Maryland’s sports betting law is unique in that it requires SWARC to actively seek to achieve racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among the licensees.

Brandt said that these circumstances require a lot of time, consideration of study outcomes, and legal analysis – something that other states don’t have to consider.

When Can We Expect To See Online Betting in Maryland?

New developments in the Old Line State have inched online betting a little closer to reality. On July 13, the SWARC approved emergency draft regulations for mobile/retail licensing applications.

In a public meeting, Brandt said that the commission had asked its professional team to draft regulations that excluded the previously required race and gender-based license criteria to avoid further delays.

The drafts were swiftly approved and will now be submitted to the Maryland Legislature Joint Committee Administrative Executive and Legislative Review (AELR) for emergency consideration. Once approved, a 30-day public comment period will open up to allow input from stakeholders.

The SWARC has its next public meeting scheduled for Aug. 17, and there is hope that it will announce that the commission will soon be accepting applications for mobile sports betting licenses.

While a September launch to coincide with the NFL kickoff is looking like a Hail Mary, there is still some hope that online betting could become a reality by the end of the year.

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