After much careful preparation, Maryland’s legal sports betting market finally launched on Monday 21st November. In a carefully orchestrated trial period beginning at 2 pm ET and lasting for 8 hours, seven approved operators were enabled to test their platforms.
These included big names such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars as well as PointsBet, Barstool Sportsbook, and BetRivers. All the action was monitored closely by staff from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission to ensure that the full launch- scheduled for Wednesday 23rd – went without a hitch.
A Smooth Trial Launch
The final preparations required for its launch have gone smoothly, with no reports of any issues throughout the trial period. Every operator was required to submit documents containing information on their regulatory compliance processes before they would be allowed access to the Maryland market along with other forms of evidence in order to prove that their systems were adequate enough to prevent fraud or oversight issues.
It is extremely encouraging to see that despite months of disruption due to COVID-19, Maryland was still able to successfully prepare its legal sports betting market and carry out a trial launch which appears to be running smoothly. This is sure to provide an optimistic outlook for other states considering potential legislation going forward. After a long wait, Maryland’s legal sports betting marketplace has finally begun its journey!
Maryland Takes Sports Betting Offline Ahead Of Launch
Maryland is at the forefront of the sports betting movement in the US; its trial period was unique in that it was the first state to launch and then take wagering offline again ahead of an official launch.
Most states opt for a soft launch, allowing some operators to start accepting sports wagers prior to zoning in on regulations and launching the full industry. However, Maryland chose a different path, introducing only one brick-and-mortar casino at first before taking it offline early on without officially launching an online/mobile platform.
60 Online Sportsbooks Will Be Eligible For The Promotion
Maryland is slated to open its online sports betting industry on Wednesday of this coming week, making it the 21st state to officially allow legal sports betting. Under the terms of its Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) Regulation, up to 60 online sportsbooks will be eligible to apply for a license and then accept wagers upon successful licensing.
SWARC has introduced a rolling approval process that will allow applications to be assessed and approved right away so that any licensed operators can immediately begin taking bets as soon as their license is granted. With the launch set for Wednesday, MD will be joining other states in allowing an exciting new form of entertainment that many would never have envisioned becoming a reality until recently!
