Maryland online sports betting to begin today from 2 to 10 p.m.
Maryland’s mobile sports betting launch will begin today nearly two years after state voters approved a sports betting bill.
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) will hold “controlled demonstrations” for sports betting operators this afternoon from 2 to 10 p.m. During this time, at least seven operators will accept the first Maryland online sports bets prior to this Wednesday’s full launch.
If all goes well, the operators will be able to fully launch on Nov. 23 at a to be determined time.
Maryland online sports betting begins
No bets will be accepted on Tuesday, Nov. 22. The MLGCA will review the operators’ controlled demonstrations to ensure they are ready for the full launch on Wednesday.
The controlled demonstration comes five days after the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) approved the first set of 10 online sports betting licenses.
SWARC approved these operators at the previous meeting for Maryland online sports betting.
- Barstool Sportsbook
- BetFred
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- Parx Interactive
- PointsBet
- Rush Street Interactive
Fanatics, Parx Interactive, and BetFred have informed the MLGCA that they will not be ready to launch on Nov. 23 and will likely not be participating in today’s controlled demonstration.
“The much-anticipated launch of online and mobile sports betting in Maryland is here, and just in time for all the NFL and College football action over the Thanksgiving,” said Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of RSI, in a press release. “We are thrilled to give Maryland’s NFL and college football fans an exciting sports betting experience to enjoy all the holiday action at the touch of their fingertips.
Maryland sports betting partnerships
Barstool Sportsbook will operate online sports betting for the Hollywood Casino in Perryville; BetFred will operate betting for OTB parlor Long Shots; BetMGM will operate betting for MGM National Harbor Casino; Caesars Sportsbook will operate betting for Horseshoe Baltimore Casino; DraftKings will operate betting for the Maryland State Fairgrounds; FanDuel will operate betting for the Maryland Live! casino; Parx Interactive will operate betting for Greenmount OTB; PointsBet will operate betting for Riverboat on the Potomac; and Rush Street Interactive will operate betting for Bingo World.
Fanatics and the Washington Commanders also made their sports betting partnership official after months of rumors. Fanatics will officially operate online sports betting for the NFL franchise, and will likely operate its retail betting services as well.
Long time coming for Maryland online sports betting
This week’s launch will finally put an end to the longest journey for any state from a bill being approved to an online sports bet being placed. Maryland voters approved sports betting in 2020 and Gov. Larry Hogan signed a sports betting bill into law in 2021.
Since its formation, SWARC has been tasked with ensuring gender and race-based fairness during the state’s sports betting licensing process.
The sports betting process was largely held up as SWARC was forced to wait on the results of a sports wagering industry study for more than a year. In a preview of the study findings in August, SWARC found that it could not apply race- and/or gender-conscious criteria in its online sports betting licensing process.
To counteract the findings, and not use gender- or race-conscious criteria in its licensing process, SWARC instituted a Personal Net Worth (PNW) provision in its application process.
Under this provision, every applicant for an online sports betting license or a Class B facility sports wagering license had to demonstrate that at least 5% of its direct or indirect ownership is by individuals with a PNW no more than $1.847 million.
Each approved applicant has reached that provision.
