Maryland
Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission approves qualifications of 11 entities for sports wagering
Neil is a gambling industry veteran with over 15 years experience as a content writer, editor and speaker at events. He has a Masters degree in English Literature and Philosophy and has combined this analytical inquisitiveness with a passion for sports betting and casino gaming. Neil started his career with Bettingpro.com and helped build not only that site but various others such as LiveTennis.com, LiveDarts.com and numerous other sports informational sites, including GG.co.uk and RacingTips.com He then made the transition to the North American market, working both in the UK and in New Jersey to launch various sports betting and casino sites, including AmericanBettingExperts and NewAmericanCasinos. Working with regulators, Neil has helped to review sports betting sites and also test the regulated betting apps in a professional capacity. He now works almost exclusively in the US market and is one of the main reviewers and fact checkers on SportsLens gambling content. He also speaks at various gambling conferences including ICE, iGB Live and SBC Americas and has contributed to GamblingInsider, EGR Magazine and a number of others in a consulting capacity.
All posts by Neil RoartyUpdated2 hours ago on April 18, 2024
Maryland’s Lottery and Gaming Commission has announced the approval of 11 entities seeking sports wagering licenses in the state. 10 of the businesses are seeking mobile sports wagering licenses, and one business has applied for a Class B facility license. All eleven of the entities will go before Maryland’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (“SWARC”) in November, who will consider their applications for license awards.
The initial part of the application process was undertaken by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, who conduct background investigations on businesses to assess if an entity has demonstrated ‘the honesty, integrity, good character and financial stability to be qualified for a sports wagering license’. Next, the SWARC evaluates applicants’ suitability and whether providing a license will be deemed in the public interest.
The SWARC is also responsible for assessing each entity’s business and marketing plans, plus the ownership structures of the entities who have applied for a sports wagering license. Notably, the SWARC considers the ‘industry experience’ of the sportsbook operators that entities plan on partnering with, but does not evaluate or award licenses to the operators.
Which entities will move forward?
The following businesses have qualified for mobile sports wagering and will go before SWARC for mobile license awards:
- Arundel Amusements, Inc., / Bingo World
- BetMGM Maryland Sports, LLC, / BetMGM
- Crown MD Gaming / Draft Kings
- CZR Maryland Mobile Opportunity, LLC / Caesars
- Greenmount Station
- Live! Casino and Hotel
- Long Shot’s, LLC
- Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC
- Penn Maryland OSB, LLC / Hollywood Casino
- Riverboat on the Potomac
The following sportsbook operators qualified for mobile sports wagering operator licenses:
- American Wagering
- Barstool
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- Bet Rivers/Rush Street
- Draft Kings
- Fanatics
- FanDuel/Bet Fair
- Parx Interactive
- PointsBet
“We’re pleased that we advanced the process today, but of course the work continues,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “We’re also very happy to see such a varied group of businesses become part of this emerging market in Maryland.”
“There is still a flurry of activity ahead of us over the next couple of weeks, but we’re going to see the first mobile wagers placed in Maryland soon,” Martin said. “We know sports fans have been eagerly awaiting that opportunity, and we’re almost there.”
