Sportsbooks fund Maryland sports betting campaign

DraftKings and FanDuel have contributed to the campaign urging voters in the state to approve sports betting in November.

US.- A campaign urging voters in Maryland to vote in favour of the legalisation of sports betting in November has received $500,000 from FanDuel and $250,000 from DraftKings.

The “Vote Yes on Question 2” campaign launched an advert yesterday (Tuesday) featuring public school teachers advocating for the legalisation of sports betting in order to fund education given pandemic losses.

The campaign is chaired by Marissa Coleman, a former Women’s National Basketball Association player from Prince George’s County

Sports betting was on the agenda for state legislators before the pandemic, but the legislature had to be adjourned early in March. Without the possibility to discuss details, legislators passed a bill saying they would see to the issue after sports betting is put to voters on the November ballot.

According to the Vote Yes website, if sports betting is legalised in Maryland it could generate $40 million a year in tax revenue.

DraftKings said in a statement: “Sports fans in Maryland are ready — and waiting — to bet on sports legally.

“Legalizing sports betting will allow for a customer-centric experience and shut down illegal sites that offer no consumer protections. It will also keep money in Maryland that’s currently going to legal markets in neighboring states.”

FanDuel said: “We think this is a great opportunity for Maryland to bring revenue home from other nearby states that have authorized sports wagering. We’re hopeful we can bring FanDuel Sportsbook to Maryland in 2021.”