Maryland online sports betting market opens today
Governor Larry Hogan has announced that the mobile sports betting market will open today (November 23).
US.- Governor Larry Hogan has announced that Maryland’s mobile sports betting market will open at 9 a.m. today (November 23). The Governor and Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin discussed the impending launch during a press conference yesterday at the Maryland State House in Annapolis.
Governor Larry Hogan said: “This process took longer than it should have, but we’re excited that this launch is in time for fans to place their bets on all the Thanksgiving Day NFL action, college football rivalry weekend, this week’s slate of NBA games, the 2022 World Cup and this Sunday’s Ravens and Commanders games.”
Maryland’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) awarded licences to 10 online operators. The SWARC awarded the licences at a meeting on November 16, subject to final review by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. Only seven completed the final testing needed to be ready on Day 1.
The seven online operators are:
Barstool Sportsbook (operator for PENN Maryland/Hollywood Casino)
BetMGM (operator for BetMGM Maryland Sports/MGM National Harbor)
BetRivers (operator for Arundel Amusements/Bingo World in Brooklyn Park)
Caesars Sportsbook (operator for CZR Maryland Mobile Opportunity/Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore)
DraftKings (operator for Crown MD Online Gaming)
FanDuel (operator for PPE Maryland Mobile/Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover)
PointsBet (operator for Riverboat on the Potomac)
The three operators that are expected to receive the final approval in the next few days are BetFred (operator for Long Shot’s in Frederick), BetParx (operator for Greenmount Station in Hampstead), and Fanatics (operator for Maryland Stadium Sub/Washington Commanders in Landover). Maryland Lottery and Gaming staff are working closely with the three operators to guide them through the requirements they must complete before being given clearance to launch. The timing of their launches has not been determined.
Players in the state enjoyed a special early registration offer ahead of the sportsbook’s official launch. Yesterday, Rush Street Interactive (RSI), which operates BetRivers, announced that bettors could register, deposit, wager and withdraw on the BetRivers sportsbook on all mobile devices, tablets, desktops, and laptop computers.
Last week, Caesars Sportsbook announced that its app is available for download in Maryland ahead of the launch of mobile sports betting in the state. The app is available for download on iOS and Android devices.
Maryland retail sports betting handle sets new record
Maryland’s seven sportsbooks registered a sports betting handle of $39.7m in October, a 26.4 per cent increase compared to September’s $31.4m, and a new monthly record.
According to the report from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, the October handle minus prizes left Maryland sportsbooks with a hold of $5.3m, or 13.4 per cent of wagers. Minus promotional play and other amounts, the taxable win was $5.2m.
