Place your bets: A timeline on how mobile sports betting came to be in Maryland
BALTIMORE - Now, Marylanders can wager on games while watching their favorite sports from the comfort of their homes.
The state will officially launch sports betting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23 with seven sportsbook entities whose licenses were approved last week.
The Sports Wagering Applicant Review Commission, or SWARC, approved 10 licenses, but three have said they aren't quite ready to launch.
These seven mobile sportsbooks are expected to be active for the initial launch date on Wednesday:
- Barstool Sportsbook (operator for PENN Maryland/Hollywood Casino)
- BetMGM (operator for BetMGM Maryland Sports/MGM National Harbor)
- BetRivers (operator for Arundel Amusements/Bingo World in Brooklyn Park)
- Caesars Sportsbook (operator for CZR Maryland Mobile Opportunity/Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore)
- DraftKings (operator for Crown MD Online Gaming)
- FanDuel (operator for PPE Maryland Mobile/Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover)
- PointsBet (operator for Riverboat on the Potomac in Charles County)
Another three mobile sportsbooks have been awarded licenses, but they informed Maryland Lottery and Gaming that they would not be prepared to launch this week:
- Betfred (operator for Long Shot's in Frederick)
- BetParx (operator for Greenmount Station in Hampstead)
- Fanatics (operator for Maryland Stadium Sub/Washington Commanders in Landover)
"This marks the culmination, of literally years of effort, to get online sports betting up and running in the state of Maryland," Gov. Larry Hogan said.
The state has been working for years to legalize sports betting, both in person and online.
We've compiled a timeline of the process leading to Wednesday's launch.
Timeline of Events
November 2020: Maryland votes in favor of the referendum to legalize sports betting.
May 2021: Gov. Larry Hogan signed HB 940, which officially legalized sports betting in Maryland.
December 2021: In-person sports betting was launched in Maryland.
"That resulted in launching in-person sports betting nearly a year ago when I had the chance to place the first bets at MGM, Maryland Live! And Horseshoe Casino," Gov. Hogan said.
June 2022: Gov. Hogan called on SWARC to expedite actions to launch mobile sports betting.
"When it came to getting mobile sports betting up and running, they allowed the process to be bogged down, bureaucratic, and had legal delay that threatened to push back the launch of mobile sports betting past the Super Bowl next year," Gov. Hogan said. "It was inexcusable and unacceptable to me, which is why I aggressively pushed for clear and definitive action to successfully expedite the facility license awards and to approve mobile sports and rolling licenses on a first-come, first-served basis."
September 2022: A state panel overseeing sports wagering started accepting applications for operators hoping to launch mobile betting apps.
November 16, 2022: The state's Sports Wagering Application Review Commission held a license award meeting in which they awarded licenses to 10 entities.
November 17, 2022: Maryland Lottery officials announced mobile wagering will launch Wednesday, Nov. 23.
November 21, 2022: Maryland sportsbook entities approved to launch had a "soft launch" from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m.
"Think of this as a dress rehearsal," said Maryland Gaming Director John Martin. "We accepted live wagering. We made sure the platforms operated correctly and procedures worked."
November 22, 2022: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced seven sportsbook entities will launch their sportsbook in Maryland at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23.
"This marks the culmination, of literally years of effort, to get online sports betting up and running in the state of Maryland," Hogan said.
Nov. 23, 2022: Mobile sports betting will launch at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
Hogan said the revenue projected by online sports betting in Maryland should generate $30 million in 2023, and up to $100 million by 2026.
"This process took longer than it should have, but we are excited that this launch is in time for fans to place their bets on all the Thanksgiving Day NFL action, college football rivalry weekend, this week's slate of NBA games, the 2022 World Cup, and this Sunday's Ravens and Commanders games," Governor Larry Hogan said.
