Maryland rushes to pass sports betting
Lawmakers are trying to find a way to approve sports betting faster than 2020, year expected for voters to decide on the matter.
US.- Sports betting continues to expand across the USA after PASPA got revoked and those who have already regulated the segment have seen the gaming industry thrive around it. That’s why Maryland lawmakers are trying to avoid having to wait until a potential voter approval in 2020 and are looking for ways to approve it this year instead.
As lawmakers were unable to squeeze the sports betting legalisation into last November’s ballot, they are seeking to exploit a potential loophole. Some of them are making a push to hurry the segment’s regulation by enforcing new rules through the state lottery instead of private entities.
“If we can find a way to do it without referendum, I’m certainly amenable to move forward this year,” Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, said.
However, Governor Larry Hogan wasn’t so excited about regulating without a referendum and stated: “The odds are good that we’re going to have sports betting. Something’s going to happen in the next 83 days (before the current session ends), but there’re lots of ideas, and I have no idea exactly how it’s going to shake out.”
“All the details are still out there so we don’t know, and then we don’t know if the option that everyone’s talking about – about going through the lottery – means it doesn’t go to the voters,” Delegate Anne Kaiser advances and projected lawmakers will pass legislation but had doubts of what the General Assembly will do. “Everything’s still being talked about,” she said.
