State senators in Maryland have passed amended sports betting enabling legislation that would remove all limits on the number of licenses for retail and online/mobile sports betting.
The bill passed by the state House of Delegates limited the number of retail licenses to 10 and online/mobile licenses to 15. The Senate bill, passed on a voice vote last week, removes those limits. Additionally, while the House measure stipulated that sportsbooks at Pimlico Race Course and the stadiums of the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Football Team would operate only on game and race days, the Senate bill removes those restrictions as well, allowing daily betting.
“We are doing our best not to pick winners and losers, but to let the market work itself out,” said Senator Craig Zucker, sponsor and main author of the plan, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The bill now goes back to the House for consideration of the amendments. The House could agree to the changes, stand behind its plan or work out the differences in a conference committee.
The Senate plan would create five license types, each lasting for five years:
- Class A1 would be for licenses at the three large Baltimore-Washington area casinos, thoroughbred racetracks and the Orioles, Ravens and Washington Football Team stadiums. A license holder would pay a $2 million fee, with a $500,000 fee to renew after five years. The casinos are MGM National Harbor near Washington, Live! Casino and Hotel in Hanover, and Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino.
- Class A2 would be for casinos with fewer than 1,000 slot machines. They’d pay a $1 million fee, plus a $300,000 renewal fee after five years. These casinos are the Hollywood Casino in Cecil County, Ocean Downs Casino on the Eastern Shore and Rocky Gap Casino in Western Maryland.
- Class B1 would cover most other in-person licenses. Those businesses would pay a $250,000 fee and $50,000 for the five-year renewal.
- Class B2 is for on-site betting at businesses with fewer than 25 employees and $3 million in sales. They’d pay a $50,000 initial fee and a $10,000 renewal fee.
- Mobile licenses would be available to qualifying businesses. Each would pay a $500,000 fee, then a $100,000 five-year renewal fee. The mobile licenses would be separate from the retail licenses. Companies could apply for one type of license or the other, or both.
The Class B1 and B2 licensees would pay a tax of 13 percent of revenues to the state, while the other licensees would pay 15 percent.
