Maryland has set July 15 as the date for tentative approval of sports betting regulations that will guide the state toward an anticipated late 2021 sportsbooks launch.
The regulations will go before the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission that day starting at 10 a.m., with audio from the proceeding live-streamed on the website of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. Approval from the commission is required under Maryland’s sports betting law which went into effect on May 18.
Aside from the meeting date, very few details are available about the draft regulations, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming Assistant Director of Communications for Public Affairs Seth Elkin.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can tell you at this point,” Elkin said today in an email to Gaming Today. “(We are) in the process of drafting sports wagering operational regulations, and we aren’t able to address questions about the timing of the numerous steps that will be necessary to launch sports wagering.”
Is A Maryland Launch Date Planned?
A firm launch date for Maryland sports betting is also unknown, although the Maryland Lottery and Gaming website does say “some of the entities named in the (new law) may have their brick-and-mortar sports wagering operations up and running during the fall of 2021.”
Elkin wouldn’t specify if professional sports venues — specifically M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens — are among those poised for a potential 2021 launch, although a fall launch in time for this year’s NFL kickoff is anticipated.
According to the agency’s website, smaller venues may have to wait 12 to 24 months for review and licensing before they can launch.
When Can Businesses Apply To Offer Maryland Sports Betting?
Until regulations are approved, the application process can’t begin. Maryland Lottery and Gaming’s website clarifies that, adding that “a date when applications may be submitted has not yet been determined.”
Elkin said the agency’s sports wagering FAQ page will be updated as new information becomes available.
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