Maryland Sports Betting to Launch Before Thanksgiving

Online Sports Betting Coming to Maryland Ahead of Thanksgiving

By Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 21 November 2022

Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

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A Long-Awaited Decision

In 2020, Maryland amended the state constitution through a ballot referendum to allow sports betting. The state subsequently passed special legislation that set out the regulatory framework for how sports betting and other forms of online gambling would work.

However, the bill that was mandated by Gov. Larry Hogan – which was signed in May 2021 – mandated that the newly created Sports Wagering Application Review Commission must take considerable measures to provide equity in the state’s gaming expansion.

For example, Maryland’s sports betting bill requires the SWARC to make a “good-faith effort” to issue an operating license to a sportsbook in an “equitable” manner. As a result, the state’s current land-based casinos were quickly deemed suitable to receive a license, as they already met the standards required.

However, there were problems; for example, the lengthy process involved with issuing licenses was, in part, due to the industry review that tried to determine whether minorities and diverse small businesses were discriminated against in other states. Why? Those states didn’t value race or gender-based grading criteria during the application processes.

A Change of Direction

However, facing intense criticism, the SWARC requested – and subsequently received – legislative approval to do away with the disparity analysis review. This allowed them to significantly expedite the process of issuing gaming licenses. It’s also worth noting that neither the SWARC, nor the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, can revoke an online sportsbook’s license solely on the grounds that an inadequate number of minorities are involved with the company.

Earlier this week, the SWARC approved their first batch of mobile sports betting applicants. The first ten operators to receive licenses were Barstool, Betfred, BetMGM, BetPARX, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, and PointsBet.

The markets punters will be able to bet on include college football and baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL. Maryland residents will also be able to bet on college lacrosse – a sport that’s widely popular in the state. A few additional sports have also been approved, including table tennis, darts, jai alai, and NCAA softball.

However, each sportsbook still needs to undergo a review before their official license is issued. The exact time frame for when these operators can begin taking bets on Wednesday is yet to be confirmed. MLGCC director, John Martin, said:

We should have an update as we get further into this final issuance phase. We will hope to announce a start time for Wednesday early next week.

Out of the ten licenses, three have told the board they will not be ready to launch on Wednesday. These are Betfred, BetPARX, and Fanatics. The other seven are expecting to take their first real money wagers on the 23rd.