Maryland Sports Betting Moves Forward with Another Step Towards Launch

Maryland regulators are looking to finalize sports betting rules some time this month. However, they have 351 pages of public comments that they have to go through before this can happen. On September 27th, the 30-day period for public comment surrounding Maryland sports betting rules ended.

This past Thursday, the written comments were posted on the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency website. There was a September 22nd public meeting already to discuss these regulations, so the topics will not be from left field. The previously discussed topics also include the use of official league data as well as a potential launch date.

There were written comments submitted from dozens of parties, which included professional sports leagues as well as many major sportsbook operators in the US. An October 10th date to present the comments has been floated by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency Managing Director of Organizational Compliance, James Butler. The final regulations would then be able to be published in the Maryland Register on October 22nd.

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency Director, John Martin, believes that the 17 establishments previously named in the legislation for Maryland sports betting will probably be able to open retail sportsbooks during this autumn season. However, the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission is currently working through what the process will be to award the Maryland sports betting licenses, which may delay the matter.

The 30 Class B and 60 mobile Maryland sports betting licenses are competitively bid. Maryland residents are eagerly anticipating the launch of sports betting in the state, and have expressed a desire for the process to be sped up. These residents are upset about missing the opportunity to participate in NFL betting now that the football season has started.

Maryland sports betting was approved by voters almost a year ago, back in November 2020. This past spring, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed this sports betting legislation into law. Regulators have been pushing for a fall launch for sports betting in the state.

Official league data requirements have garnered support from representatives from the PGA Tour, NBA, as well as the MLB. These representatives believe the requirement will help improve protections for integrity. However, a few sports betting operators have requested the removal of this requirement, or at least, a limit to the mandate when it comes to in-play bets.

The representatives from the leagues are also pushing to have a say in the types of bets that will be offered from the sports betting operators. They are hoping operators will need to work with regulators when it comes to investigations surrounding integrity-related occurrences.

The Compliance Officer from PointsBet, Nate Reed, requested a starting line that would be equal for all of the seventeen named entities in the legislation when it comes to the application process for licenses.

He believes it is in the best interest of the industry to allow these operators to launch at the same time, instead of being staggered. Many believe that Maryland sports betting needs to be launched as soon as possible. Sports betting operators are also pushing to have the cap for promotional play removed.

As it stands now, after the first year of operation, operators are able to issue no more than twenty percent of the sports betting revenue that was generated in promos the year prior. Proponents of responsible gaming have recommended lowering the maximum bet limit to $100,000 or less from the current $5 million cap.

However, multiple sports betting operators have asked the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to get rid of this limit completely. At the same time, those who are asking for a lower limit are also hoping for the Commission to prohibit deposits from credit cards.

Written by our US sports betting industry expert, Allie Nelson. You can learn more about Allie's expertise here.