Maryland Lottery approves DraftKings licence application for a retail sportsbook
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) has given DraftKings initial approval to open a sportsbook at Timonium Racetrack.
US.- The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) granted initial approval for a DraftKings sportsbook at the Timonium Racetrack, at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. The application was filed in the name of Crown Maryland Gaming, a company owned by DraftKings.
The licence would allow for a retail sportsbook to operate at the Maryland State Fairgrounds as part of a 10-year agreement DraftKings inked with the Maryland State Fair back in 2020. Under the terms of DraftKings’ agreement with the Maryland state fair, the two parties will share the cost of renovating an area under the grandstands of the Timonium racetrack for the new sportsbook facility.
The Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society, the potential sports betting facility licence holder, will have to be found qualified by the MLGCA before the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) can award its facility sports betting licence.
The Timonium Racetrack at the Maryland State Fairgrounds was one of the 17 original approved locations for retail sports betting in the Maryland sports betting bill. It’s expected that DraftKings will also look to enter the online sports betting space with the racetrack when online sports betting launches in Maryland. DraftKings could alternatively gain online access in Maryland via its partnership with the Baltimore Ravens.
See also: Maryland gaming tax revenue reaches new record
The Maryland Sports Wagering and Application Review Commission (SWARC) has approved regulations for the launch of mobile sports betting. The commissioners have signed off on the amended online licensing procedures, which now go to the Maryland Legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review for emergency approval.
Governor Hogan signed a bill to legalise 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 seven months, but online sports betting has not yet launched. Hogan has said he wanted to have mobile sports betting in time for the NFL season in September. There will be 60 mobile and 30 retail licences available.
