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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Monday, Nov. 14, that legal online sports betting is on track to launch statewide before the end of the month following lengthy discussions with multiple agencies.
The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) is expected to convene this week to make things official, moving up its planned meeting that was scheduled for next week.
“We had originally planned our next meeting to be November 21, but we’ve been working with our consultants from Taft Stettinius & Hollister and Spectrum Gaming Group to accelerate the pace and hold it earlier,” SWARC Chairman Thomas Brandt said in a press release. “We thank them for their diligence and professionalism through this process.”
According to reports, there are nearly a dozen mobile sports betting applications that have applied to operate in Maryland, several of which already have their feet on the ground in the state.
Those agencies include:
- Arundel Amusements (Bingo World);
- BetMGM Maryland Sports LLC;
- Crown MD Online Gaming LLC (DraftKings);
- CZR Maryland Mobile Opportunity LLC (Horseshoe Casino Baltimore);
- Greenmount OTB LLC;
- Long Shot’s LLC;
- Maryland Stadium Sub LLC (Washington Commanders);
- PENN Maryland OSB LLC (Hollywood Casino Perryville);
- PPE Maryland Mobile LLC (Live! Casino and Hotel);
- Riverboat on the Potomac.
Hogan said that it was imperative for him and his administration to have the matter settled before the upcoming Super Bowl.
“To reach this point, we have had to overcome countless legal, political, and bureaucratic delays that threatened to push back the launch past the Super Bowl next year,” he said. "It was completely unacceptable to me, and we spent months pressing for decisive action.
"Thanks to those efforts, and after repeated interventions by our administration, we now anticipate the launch of mobile sports betting this month, and we are cautiously optimistic that it will be in time for Thanksgiving.”
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