After a long wait, it looks as if online sports betting is finally coming to Maryland.
On Wednesday, it was announced that 10 online sportsbooks in Maryland had advanced through the licensing process by state regulators. This is one of the final hurdles before sports fans in Maryland can begin legally betting.
What sportsbooks can Maryland residents expect?
Here are the ten sports betting operators that were approved:
- Barstool Sportsbook
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- betPARX
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
It’s no surprise that some of the biggest names in online sports betting have advanced. FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars are the four most prominent brands in the country and account for over 80% of the nationwide betting handle.
Part of the reason for this massive market share is that all four tend to be present when a new state launches online sports betting.
Many of America’s secondary set of bookmakers that are growing in popularity also advanced through the process. Barstool Sportsbook, PointsBet, and BetRivers have all carved out their own individual niches and are making headway toward chipping away at the top four’s dominance.
Every time a new market opens, they try to get in on the action early as it presents a great opportunity to grab a market share instead of trying to enter a state where competitors already have loyal customers.
So what now?
It’s been almost two years since voters elected to legalize online sports betting. The process has taken longer than any other state’s online betting launch and even caused the Governor himself to step in and try to speed up the process over the summer.
There is one final meeting for the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) set to take place on November 21st. This is where the online sports betting licenses are expected to be officially handed out, with the ten sportsbooks listed above all expected to receive a license.
After that meeting, no timeline is set, but there shouldn’t be too long of a wait. Regulators have stated that the sportsbooks should be able to launch by the end of 2022. That would be great timing for sports fans, with plenty of time to prep for College Football Bowl games and the NFL Playoffs.
So, while the exact date has yet to be set, we’re closer than ever to having legal online sports betting in Maryland.
