Online Sports Betting In Maryland Gets Ready For Wednesday Morning Kickoff

MARYLAND — Online sports betting kicks off in Maryland at 9 a.m. Wednesday, with seven sportsbooks expected to be ready when sports betting goes live across the state.

The launch of online sports betting is happening just in time for Marylanders to bet on a range of sporting events during the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

“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,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement Tuesday.

Hogan also said the money gambled by Marylanders will provide "another critical revenue source for Maryland schools."

Maryland expects online sports gambling to bring in up to $30 million in revenue next year, with that total expected to reach nearly $100 million by 2027.

On Tuesday, Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency Director John Martin said the state is hoping to grant licenses to a total of 21 mobile sportsbook apps over the coming year.

These are the sportsbooks expected to launch on Wednesday at 9 a.m.:

• Barstool (operator for PENN Maryland/Hollywood Casino)
• BetRivers (operator for Arundel Amusements/Bingo World in Brooklyn Park)
• FanDuel (operator for PPE Maryland Mobile/Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover)
• PointsBet (operator for Riverboat on the Potomac in Charles County)
• BetMGM (operator for BetMGM Maryland Sports/MGM National Harbor)
• DraftKings (operator for Crown MD Online Gaming)
• Caesars (operator for CZR Maryland Mobile Opportunity/Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore)

Another three sportsbooks have been awarded licenses, but they told Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency that they would not be prepared to launch this week. They are Betfred (operator for Long Shot’s in Frederick); BetParx (operator for Greenmount Station in Hampstead); and Fanatics (operator for Maryland Stadium Sub/Washington Commanders in Landover).

Maryland Lottery and Gaming staff said they are working closely with the three sportsbooks to guide them through the operational requirements they must complete before being given clearance to launch.

The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission approved all 10 gaming licenses last week. Maryland Lottery and Gaming then announced that the online sportsbooks would launch in time for Thanksgiving.

A sportsbook is the same thing as a bookmaker or bookie who accepts bets from individual bettors. Sportsbooks accept bets on either side of a sporting event.

In November 2020, Marylanders voted overwhelmingly in favor of the referendum to legalize sports betting. Hogan signed HB 940 into law in May 2021, which officially legalized sports betting in the state. In-person sports betting started in Maryland in December 2021.

Sports wagering revenue figures for the month of November will be released on Monday, Dec. 12, and will include data on the performance of both mobile and retail sportsbooks, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming. Retail gambling is brick-and-mortar casinos and betting shops for people who prefer in-person gambling.