On Thursday, sports betting went live in Maryland with the opening of a casino sportsbook at the MGM National Harbor.
This comes after the state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) awarded sports betting licenses to Riverboat-on-the-Potomac and Long Shot’s earlier this week.
Sports betting goes live at MGM National Harbor
Sports betting finally arrived in Maryland on Thursday after MGM National Harbor opened its BetMGM sportsbook facility.
With the launch of sports betting, Maryland is now the 31st state to offer some form of legal sports wagering.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan placed the first bet at a ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Hogan said: “Today marks the culmination of more than a year of effort to get sports betting up and running here in the State of Maryland.
“In addition to allowing Marylanders to bet on football, basketball, and more, sports betting will also help to keep more dollars in-state and will provide another critical revenue source for public education without raising taxes on families and small businesses.”
The new BetMGM sportsbook facility is 8,000 sq feet in size, has a capacity of 350 people, and features a 110-foot long wraparound screen and 360-degree halo screen. The space also features seven betting windows, 15 betting kiosks as well as a mobile food and beverage ordering service.
Chris Gumiela, Vice President of BetMGM Marketing for MGM Resorts International, said: “As we celebrate MGM National Harbor’s fifth anniversary, the addition of sports betting further strengthens our reputation as the DMV’s premier entertainment destination. We’re proud to provide our guests a one-of-a kind experience, while bringing more jobs and revenue to the state.”
BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt added: “The BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge at MGM National Harbor is a key component to making the Capital Region one of the country’s premier sports betting hubs. In partnership with the MGM National Harbor team, we’ve designed a world-class destination for sports fans.”
More operators to go live this week
In addition to the MGM National Harbor sportsbook, two more are set to go live in the state today.
Caesars Sportsbook at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and a FanDuel Sportsbook at the Live! Casino Maryland facility today. Both of these operators were approved at the same time as MGM.
Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Perryville and TwinSpires at Ocean Downs are also preparing for launch and can be expected to arrive in the state in the coming weeks. These two sportsbooks were approved at the same time as the above three.
The state has yet to confirm a solid launch date for mobile sports betting.
Sports betting in Maryland
Maryland voters approved sports betting via a referendum back in November 2020.
Lawmakers worked quickly to create sports betting legislation earlier this year and the state’s governor went on to sign the legislation into law in May. The state hoped to have the sportsbooks operational during the NFL season and by the MLB World Series.
Regulations for sports betting were approved by the MLGC in July and were then published in August. The state regulator then opened the licensing process for sportsbooks in September.