Retail Maryland Sports Betting Rises in August As Mobile Gets Closer

Retail Maryland Sports Betting Rises in August As Mobile Gets Closer
Fact Checked by Jim Tomlin

Maryland’s retail sportsbooks saw wagering handle of $18.65 million in August, an increase of 20% from the $15.49 million in July Maryland revenue for sports betting.

The August sports betting revenue (or taxable win) was almost $3.19 million, a jump of about 60.3% from July (almost $2 million). The state realized taxes from sports betting of $477,840, also up 60.3% from July.

August saw the continued rollout of Maryland sports betting across the state with the addition of a riverboat off-track betting facility.

More Maryland Sports Betting Outlets

So far, five casinos have retail sportsbooks. Two other facilities have recently opened sports betting operations. The latter two are Bingo World, in Anne Arundel County just outside Baltimore, and an off-track betting operation, the Riverboat on the Potomac. The riverboat is moored at Colonial Beach, Virginia, but floating in Maryland waters. The Riverboat had its controlled demonstration in August and opened to the public on Sept. 8. 

Among the casino retail sportsbooks, Live! Casino & Hotel (Hanover) was the leader in handle with about $7.2 million, followed by MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill with about $5.5 million, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming. The rest were: Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, $3.5 million in handle; Ocean Downs Casino (Berlin), $1.12 million, and Hollywood Casino Perryville, $1.08 million.

The other facilities were Bingo World, with $172,921 in handle in its first full month, and the Riverboat on the Potomac $1,139 in its first days of operation in a partnership with PointsBet. Other retail locations are in various phases of the approval process, including FedEx Field, home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Retail sports betting launched in the state on Dec. 9, 2021. Maryland sportsbook apps have not yet launched for mobile wagering, but the state announced last week that it is accepting applications for licenses for those wishing to run online sports betting operations in Maryland.

Mobile Sports Wagering Process Continues

The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) said last week that it had begun a 45-day window for taking sports betting applications

SWARC needed to get clearance from the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review in the state’s General Assembly before launching an application period. The committee granted that approval on Sept. 2.

Last week, gaming regulators held a public hearing in person for people wishing to comment on regulations for online sports betting.

Check with BetMaryland.com for Maryland sport betting promo codes when the mobile market launches.

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Author

Bill Ordine

Bill Ordine was a reporter and editor in news and sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Baltimore Sun for 25 years, and was a lead reporter on a team that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News. Bill started reporting on casinos and gaming shortly after Atlantic City’s first gambling halls opened and wrote a syndicated column on travel to casino destinations for 10 years. He covered the World Series of Poker for a decade and his articles on gaming have appeared in many major U.S. newspapers, such as the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald and others.

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