BALTIMORE — Mobile sports betting in Maryland could become a reality in time for Thanksgiving.
On November 16, the state's Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) awarded online betting licenses to the following ten businesses.
- 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
This doesn't mean the businesses get to immediately take mobile wagers. That will be determined at a later date by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission, who so far has not announced an official launch date.
Each business still has to conduct a controlled demonstration, ensuring that its systems and internal control procedures are functioning correctly before going live.
“Our staff has been in continuous contact with these mobile sports wagering businesses, and has already guided them through many of the necessary steps,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “The last hurdle is for them to have controlled demonstrations, and SWARC’s awards of licenses on Wednesday would clear the way for that to happen.”
RELATED:Businesses await Maryland online sports betting licenses
Although Maryland legalized sports betting in November 2020, the online aspect has been a longtime coming.
Currently, just seven facilities throughout the state offer in-person sports betting.
Governor Larry Hogan in a statement celebrated the news. The outgoing Governor has often been critical of SWARC, blaming them for ongoing delays. He had called for the licenses to be issued by the start of the NFL season, however that never came to fruition.
“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. It was completely unacceptable to me, and we spent months pressing for decisive action," said Hogan. "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."
