Maryland Gov. pushes to speed up in-person sports betting launch

Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan urged state residents to push for the launch of in-person sports betting during the NFL season. Through his official Twitter account, Hogan asked his followers to email the Sports Wagering Application Review Commision (SWARC) to allow football season betting to begin as soon as possible. 

The Governor’s call to action came after the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission took action to begin licensing three state casinos for in-person sports betting. 

Our administration recently approved the first three locations for sports wagering in Maryland.

Tell the legislature’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission to allow football season betting to begin: [email protected]https://t.co/lV7MUxgSkQ

— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) October 8, 2021

Hogan signed the approval of the state’s sports betting bill back in May, thus legalizing online and in-person sports betting in Maryland. Maryland’s sports betting market officially began on June 1. However, progress has been slow since then, and in-person sports betting still does not have a concrete date for launch. 

Even though Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin said he hopes the state can begin accepting in-person sports bets “by late fall”, casinos must first be licensed to open their sportsbooks to the public. 

The Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore; Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover and MGM National Harbour in Oxon Hill are the three properties that have met the qualification requirements. SWARC will meet on Thursday October 14, in a session that intends to award licenses to the three entities. The Maryland Lottery Gaming Control Agency will ensure they have finalized their internal controls and other operational requirements before receiving the licenses. 

All three casinos have agreed to partnerships with qualified sportsbook operators, which are: 

• Horseshoe Casino and Caesars
• Live! Casino and Hotel with FanDuel
• MGM National Harbor with BetMGM