Sports fans can now place their bets online in Maryland, just in time for Thanksgiving football.
The state’s mobile sports betting launched at 9 a.m. on Wednesday with seven online sportsbooks. The state's gaming director said the number of betting options is expected to grow.
The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission approved 10 sportsbook businesses. Three of the businesses said they would not be ready by Wednesday’s launch.
The effort to allow online sports betting was years in the making.
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The Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Agency previously announced mobile sports betting would be allowed by Thanksgiving. At the time, Governor Larry Hogan said in a release he was “cautiously optimistic.”
“To reach this point, we have had to overcome countless legal, political, and bureaucratic delays that threatened to push back the launch past the Super Bowl next year. It was completely unacceptable to me, and we spent months pressing for decisive action,” Hogan said. “Thanks to those efforts, and after repeated interventions by our administration, we now anticipate the launch of mobile sports betting this month.”
BetMGM’s mobile sport pre-registration went live on Nov. 10, according to a release. There is an MGM in National Harbor.
You must be 21 years old to bet in the state of Maryland. Any money made while betting and withdrawn will be taxed. The current tax rate is 8.75% for Maryland residents and 7% for non-resident winnings.
Maryland estimates mobile betting could generate $30 million in tax revenue over the next year. That money will go to a statewide education fund.
