Betfred Sports launches sports betting in Maryland
Betfred Sports has signed a deal with the bar and restaurant Long Shot’s of Frederick to offer retail and online sports betting in the state.
US.- Betfred Sports will launch retail and online sports betting in Maryland after reaching an agreement with the bar and restaurant Long Shot’s of Frederick. Pending regulatory approval, the firm plans to open a temporary retail sportsbook in September for the 2022 football season. The sportsbook would have in-person betting windows and self-service betting kiosks.
Betfred plans to later open a permanent 8,800 square-foot state-of-the-art sportsbook, with a video wall and theater-style seats. Online betting would be launched when allowed by state regulators.
Long Shot’s CEO Alyse Cohen said: “We were at the forefront of bringing sports betting to Maryland and specifically to Frederick. We are thrilled to open a sportsbook at Long Shot’s in partnership with Betfred Sports.
“We are proud that Long Shot’s is one of the premier off-track betting locations in the State and we look forward to achieving similar success with sports wagering. Long Shot’s will not only boost the local economy but contribute to enhancing the education of our students.”
Bryan Bennett, Betfred Sports chief operating officer, added: “We identified Long Shot’s very early when searching for a Maryland partner. When combining Betfred’s 50 years of bookmaking experience and Long Shot’s success with off-track betting, we believe this will be a formidable partnership to compete in the Maryland sports betting space.”
In March, the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort in Arizona, owned by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, and Betfred Sports announced that mobile sports betting was available in Arizona after a soft launch in January. The Betfred Sports-branded apps allow the opportunity to wager on any device within the state.
Players can bet on college and professional sporting events with straight bets, in-play wagering, parlays, and teasers. In November, Betfred Sports opened eight self-service sports betting kiosks at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, allowing players to wager on select sports markets.
Maryland governor wants mobile sports betting in time for NFL
Maryland governor Larry Hogan is getting impatient with the state regulators tasked with issuing licences for the online sports betting industry. Hogan has urged the state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) to “immediately accelerate and intensify” their work to have mobile sports gambling to be up and running by September, in time for the NFL season.
Hogan signed a bill to legalise both online and retail sports betting in Maryland last year, after voters approved sports betting through a November 2020 referendum. Retail betting has been available for six months, but online sports betting has not yet launched.
See also: Maryland regulator holds meeting to discuss mobile sports betting rules
