In 2020, Maryland (MD) held a referendum on betting, giving voters the option to choose between yes or no on their ballot. By the end of this process, the state residents voted to allow legal sports betting, giving legislators the green light to write new laws and regulate the sports betting market in MD. Maryland has joined a growing number of US states that have made sports betting legal. While there were laws against it, many bettors still used offshore sites. By regulating the industry, Maryland can ensure that bettors are kept safe while also helping to generate more tax revenue.
Since the referendum, Governor Larry Hogan signed the new measures on May 15th, 2021. And in the next month, new regulations were brought in to set up a legal framework for sportsbooks to operate within the state. In December 2021, the first retail sportsbook opened its doors, but mobile betting won’t be available until 2022 at the earliest. The reason for the delay is due to the state’s complicated regulatory procedure.
What are forms of betting allowed in Maryland?
Maryland will eventually allow both in-person and online sportsbooks based on the wording in the legislature and regulations. Several retail sportsbooks have already opened up, including PointsBet, BetMGM, and Caesars sportsbook in Maryland.
The BetMGM Sportsbook at MGM National Harbor opened in December 2021 as the state’s first retail sportsbook. Governor Larry Hogan was in attendance, as were a number of former Maryland athletes. These sportsbooks offer to bet on the following sports:
- Football
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Hockey
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Motorsports.
Available betting markets include:
- Moneyline
- Point spread
- Point total
- Outright
- Prop bets.
Maryland online sports betting
For now, sports betting online in Maryland isn’t available. It’s still unclear when it will become available, but there are definite plans to bring online betting to MD. According to John Martin, director of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, online sports betting will not be available in Maryland until at least fall 2022.
John Martin has recently stated that retail sports betting will not begin until at least the New Year. But this estimate seems to have been too ambitious. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, as well as the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission, met on November 18th, 2021, to further discuss the issue and approve the first sportsbook licenses.
Maryland bettors will presumably have access to a large number of sportsbooks. Many popular sports betting businesses might enter the market with 60 potential mobile licenses on the table. Barstool Sportsbook, for example, is likely to make its app available in Maryland. Penn National, the parent business, purchased a casino in Maryland in late 2020, paving the way for Barstool.
Both DraftKings and FanDuel contributed money to campaigns to pass sports betting in Maryland by voters in 2020. Therefore, it’s highly likely that these two betting brands will be among the first operators to launch online betting services in the state.
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