Maryland Ready to Award Sports Betting Licenses
The path to online sports betting in the state of Maryland has not been easy, and it’s come with plenty of interesting or strange developments. The most recent news though is positive as the state is actually looking to get the industry up and running sooner than expected.
The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission was scheduled to meet next week, but that meeting has now been bumped up to Wednesday, November 16. The SWARC has been working with an outside firm, and that has allowed them to get through all of the applications quicker.
Earlier in November, it was announced that sports betting was likely going to be delayed until December, but that is no longer the case. If licenses are handed out on Wednesday as expected, those online sportsbooks can have things up and running quickly.
Most of the sportsbooks that are expected to receive a license in Maryland have already been making plans for the launch. It won’t be immediate, but all of the sports betting options should be able to get up and running within a matter of days.
Retail wagering continues to be an option in Maryland, but there just isn’t a ton of interest from bettors in the state.
Big Names Set to Launch
Nothing will be official until the SWARC hands out the licenses, but the list of potential sportsbook has already been revealed. The Maryland Lottery also plays a role in the licensing process in the state, and it has already pre-approved 10 sportsbooks for launch.
You are going to see some of the biggest names in the industry launch a sportsbook in the state, and it should help create a solid sports betting market. FanDuel and DraftKings are both included in the list, as well as BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook.
Even after getting approved for a license, all of the sportsbook operators will have to do some work before they can go live for good. The Maryland Lottery is going to be testing out the sportsbooks on the back end to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Sportsbooks that receive a license will be required to go live for just one day before shutting back down while the Lottery takes a close look at how things are running.
Be Ready For Pre-Launch Promos
As soon as the meeting on Wednesday is over, you can expect to hear some news from the sportsbooks that have received a license. They won’t be able to accept wagers right away, but they will start to offer pre-launch promotions.
This is a great way for customers to take advantage of some big offers and build up some bonus cash before the official launch date. Sportsbooks are not required to offer a pre-registration bonus, but all of the top options will do so.
