Sports betting bill fails to pass Maryland’s Senate

Despite major support at the state House, H1014 failed to pass the Maryland Senate and sports betting won’t be legalised yet.

US.- Maryland sports fans won’t be able – for now – to bet on their favourite teams after a sports betting bill failed to be approved by the state Senate. Lawmakers took no action on H1014 beyond a hearing, and the potential legalisation of the segment has been further delayed – at least until January 2019 when the Legislature reconvenes.

The state House had voted 124-14 in favour of letting people decide on November’s ballot through a referendum whether they want a constitutional change when it comes to sports betting or not. However, as Legal Sports Report informed, the Senate didn’t show the same enthusiasm for the segment’s potential legalisation and didn’t send the bill to the governor.

The Supreme Court of the United States is expected to revoke the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 and states all over the country are debating whether they legalise sports betting or not. However, Maryland won’t do so this year and the state may struggle if it does in 2020 (after a potential referendum) or later as neighbours Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey have already passed their own laws and are ready to enter the market.