Will Maryland Sports Betting Launch By NFL Season?

• Maryland sports betting is enduring delays that may have the industry launch by the Super Bowl in 2022 rather than the 2021 NFL season.
• Retail and mobile sportsbooks will launch in Maryland, with mobile sports wagering happening first.
• Rules and regulations for the Maryland sports gaming market are slated to receive a vote on July 15 and from there, a timeline for a launch date will follow.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – On Thursday, Maryland will be introduced to a timeline for their new sports betting industry that is slated to go live for some part of the 2021 NFL season.

The rules and regulations for the Maryland sports gaming market have been drafted into an eight-page structure that is posted on the internet for interested sports bettors and residents via the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Agency site.

On July 15, this outline is set to go before the state for approval during a meeting that can be live-streamed through the same website at 10 a.m. EST. With approval, Marylanders will know when their sportsbooks will begin to go live and the hope is that it will happen by the start of the 2021 NFL season, although that’s a longshot bet.

In May, Maryland regulated sports betting making it an official industry.

What’s In The Outline?

The eight-page draft covers all of the key points of a regulated sports gaming market. It lists what qualifies applicants, requirements and limitations for operators, and rules and regulations regarding both retail and mobile sportsbooks.

The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) is a seven-member committee whose sole purpose is to license sportsbooks based on the criteria set forth in the law’s rules and regulations of Maryland. This can be an in-depth process which is why there is talk that the Lottery & Gaming Control Commission (LGCC) take on some of the workload so that sports betting has a much better chance of going live sometime during the 2021 NFL season.

The LGCC would be tasked with solidifying the rules of the industry while SWARC would do its part for licensing.

Combining forces could help Marylanders see sportsbooks by the NFL playoffs or at least the Super Bowl, rather than a year from now with just one entity working on the market launch as could be the case.

Maryland Sportsbooks

Retail and mobile sportsbooks will be opened in Maryland with mobile platforms launching first as they do not require expansions or construction. Professional stadiums and gaming establishments in the state will be eligible for licensure as well as 30 small businesses statewide.

A cap of 60 mobile sportsbook applications will be seen by residents looking to gamble on sports.

Maryland expects to receive at least $20 million in annual revenue from its sports gaming industry once it’s live. While the original hope was for a September 9 NFL season debut launch, the idea of rolling out with sports betting by the Super Bowl in 2022 is what seems more likely now.

News tags: Lottery & Gaming Control Commission | Maryland | Maryland Lottery and Gaming Agency | NFL | NFL Playoffs | Sports Wagering Application Review Commission | Super Bowl