Maryland sports betting will launch this Friday at Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover, the first retail sportsbook to go live in the Old Line State after months of vetting by state regulators.
FanDuel will operate the retail sportsbook for the casino.
Live! is one of five retail sports betting operations that were awarded licenses on Nov. 18. The four other casinos are also expected to open retail sports betting this month.
“Everything is on pace for the first public openings to happen in December,” Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin said in a Dec. 2 press release. “The facilities and the public are eager to get started, and so are we.”
All five casinos are among 17 locations designated for retail sports betting under Maryland’s 2021 sports betting law. Up to 30 other retail licenses will be competitively awarded in the months ahead.
Up to 60 mobile licenses are also allowed under Maryland’s 2021 sports betting law, although regulators have said it could be several months before those licenses are awarded.
Other Sportsbooks Coming Soon
Hollywood Casino Perryville (Barstool), Ocean Downs (TwinSpires), Horseshoe Casino (Caesars), and MGM National Harbor (BetMGM) are the other four casinos awarded licenses last month. Maryland Lottery and Gaming said on Dec. 2 that they are working with those four facilities to schedule their soft openings.
Riverboat on the Potomac and Long Shot’s in Frederick – two more venues designated as retail sportsbook locations in the 2021 sports betting law – qualified for sports betting licenses on Dec. 2. Those licenses are expected to be awarded by SWARC at its next meeting on Dec. 8.
Both facilities are minority- and/or women-owned, and their licensure supports “the legislative intent of the sports wagering law to create an inclusive and diverse market,” per the Dec. 2 press release.
“We’re extremely happy to see these two locally owned businesses move forward, and we’re eager to continue working with them in the coming weeks to launch their sports wagering operations,” Martin said.
Months In The Making
Maryland sports betting was legalized in May when Gov. Larry Hogan signed 2021 House Bill 940 into law.
Maryland state lawmakers passed the legislation in April 2021 after voters approved the change at the polls in Nov. 2020.
Gov. Hogan is expected to be at Live! on Friday morning to place Maryland’s first legal sports bet, Fox 5 DC reported.
