Sports & Social Bethesda Partners With FanDuel On Sports Betting

NORTH BETHESDA, MD — The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission issued a sports wagering facility license to Whitman Gaming Inc., and its operator partner FanDuel, on Sept. 2 for a retail sportsbook at Sports & Social in North Bethesda.

Sports & Social in North Bethesda becomes the 12th retail sportsbook location to open in Maryland and the first one in Montgomery County.

Located at 11580 Old Georgetown Road in the Pike & Rose dining and shopping area of North Bethesda, Sports & Social Bethesda is open Mondays through Thursdays from 4 p.m. to midnight, Fridays from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to midnight.

Maryland Lottery and Gaming operates the Maryland Lottery and is responsible for regulatory oversight of the state’s sports wagering program.

Whitman Gaming and FanDuel successfully completed controlled demonstrations at Sports & Social last Tuesday and Thursday, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming.

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Customers participated in live wagering at Sports & Social, as Maryland Lottery and Gaming staff ensured that the sportsbook complied with all required procedures and that its systems functioned properly.

In-person sports betting legally launched in Maryland in December 2021.

Sports & Social Bethesda will officially mark the opening of FanDuel in-person sports betting on Thursday, the first day of the NFL season. The official ribbon-cutting will include ceremonial commentary from FanDuel’s Jeff Lowich, vice president of retail operations, and former Washington football players Santana Moss and Dexter Manley placing the ceremonial first bets.

“Our partnership with FanDuel takes our one-of-a-kind game day experience and elevates it to a
new level,” said Bryan Harris, general manager of Sports & Social Bethesda. "We love the passion
of the sports fans here and can’t wait for the season to get started."

At Sports & Social, FanDuel will offer fans many ways to bet while they watch sporting events, including self-serve kiosks and a retail window, all within sight of the media wall showing all major sporting events and games.

On Thursday, as part of the celebration, customers in the restaurant can be entered to win two tickets to an upcoming home Washington Commanders game, courtesy of FanDuel. Other prizes include a VIP package that includes a two-night hotel stay at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, a $200 Live! Spa credit, and a $200 Live! Dining credit.

The other retail sportsbook locations now operating in Maryland are Bingo World in Brooklyn Park, Greenmount Station in Hampstead, The Greene Turtle in Canton, Hollywood Casino in Perryville, Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, Live! Casino in Hanover, Long Shot’s in Frederick, Maryland Stadium Sub at FedEx Field in Landover, MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Ocean Downs Casino in Berlin, and Riverboat on the Potomac in Charles County.

Along with the retail locations, there are currently 12 mobile/online sportsbooks operating in Maryland. Online sports betting kicked off in Maryland in November 2022.

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.