Maryland's mobile sports betting market to launch Nov. 23 with seven operators

Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency's Director, John A. Martin, announced Thursday that the state will launch online sports wagering on November 23, the day before Thanksgiving. On Wednesday, Maryland’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) approved 10 mobile sports betting licenses, with seven ready to launch.

The Director said the launch time is still being determined. "We should have an update on that as we get further into this final issuance phase," he said, as reported by The Baltimore Sun. "We will hope to announce a start time for Wednesday early next week."

Maryland’s SWARC approved 10 mobile sports betting licenses Wednesday. There are “several operational requirements,” noted Martin, that must be included before those can launch, including a controlled demonstration.

Of those 10 licensees, three will not be ready to begin receiving bets on Wednesday, according to the Director, so Marylanders will initially have the option to choose one of seven companies: Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet.

The news comes two years after Maryland voters passed a referendum approving sports betting in the state. It took a year for casinos to get the state to allow them to start taking in-person sports bets, while the setting up of the infrastructure for mobile betting continued.

Regarding the delay in getting mobile betting up and running, Martin said: "Sure, DraftKings and FanDuel have been around and they’re national leaders, but they’re the sports operators, they’re not the license holder, and the process that’s taken this long is we’ve had to work with the license holders."

"A lot of these people had to formulate these partnerships, they didn’t exist prior to September or June," he explained, as reported by FOX 5.

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According to new estimates released by the Maryland Sports Wagering Commission on Wednesday, analysts predict in the first year alone, mobile sports betting will bring in $26 million in tax revenue for the state. By year five, they expected mobile sports betting to bring in close to $100 million dollars.

Gaming operators in the state are already showing excitement at being able to offer this new vertical. "We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time with Virginia just across the bridge and D.C. having it now for some time, I can tell you we’re just all very excited about it," Alex Alvarado from MGM National Harbor told FOX 5.

"I think it’s just one more way that our guests can get to enjoy everything we have to offer, so we’re just excited that there are more ways for customers to be able to enjoy this form of entertainment," he pointed out.