Lawmakers in Maryland are considering bills to launch the sports betting business approved by voters in November’s elections. Among the latest is a measure introduced by House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne A. Jones that was the subject of House committee hearing last week.
Jones’ bill would create licenses for in-person betting at the state’s six casinos, and 10 licenses for online/mobile sportsbooks at websites, which would be open to competitive bidding. At a hearing of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, betting advocates called for more than 10 online sportsbooks. John Pappas of advocacy group iDEA Growth called for as many as 24 mobile sportsbook licenses.
“More competition will bring more revenue to the state,” said Pappas, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Jason Tosches, director of regulatory affairs and market development for theScore, a sportsbook operator licensed in multiple states, added that competition ultimately leads to better benefits for sports bettors. “By creating competition, you continually force operators to innovate,” said Tosches.
The operators noted in testimony that the vast majority of current sports betting revenue has been through mobile wagering, but retail books in casinos are still required to compete with nearby states.
“We view this as more of an amenity because our competitor states have it,” said P.J. Hogan, a lobbyist representing the Rocky Gap Casino in Western Maryland, according to the Sun.
The state Senate is still working on drafting its version of sports betting legislation.
