Maryland Lottery Director Says Sports Betting Still A Ways Off

• John Martin, the director of the Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Agency says that the launch of online sports betting won’t happen soon.
• The Maryland Sports Wagering Applicant Review Commission (SWARC) has delayed giving out betting licenses for months.
• Martin says the SWARC and the Maryland Lottery have not worked well together.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland sports betting fans awaiting the regulated market to launch will have to wait even longer than expected.

The continued delays for the Maryland Sports Wagering Applicant Review Commission (SWARC) to issue out sports betting licenses to online operators appears to continue.

John Martin, director of the Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Agency has stated that the launch of legal sports betting could be delayed past Fall 2022 in a recent webinar.

Maryland Sports Betting Delayed, Again

Maryland has pushed back the launch of its sports betting market for months now. Initially, the aim was to be live in time for the start of the NFL season. This was delayed due to an extended public comment period issued by the SWARC.

The SWARC then set a November 4 date to issue out betting licenses after the public review date was completed. This November 4 meeting ended with no licenses being issued.

Because of this, sports betting was delayed until January 2021 at the earliest. The recent comments from Director Martin, however, mean things behind the scenes are not going well.

While speaking on the panel during the VIXIO GamblingCompliance Regulatory Intelligence ‘Meet the Regulators’ webinar, Martin admitted that the Maryland Lottery and the SWARC have not worked well together.

Maryland created a separate committee whose sole job is to issue out betting licenses and review applications. Once sports betting in Maryland is live, the Maryland Lottery will oversee things.

Due to significant regulatory work needing to take place, Martin estimates the launch taking place in November of 2022, stating that they will be in a better position to launch by then.

What’s Next For Maryland?

Maryland will, unfortunately, miss out on launching in time for the 2021-2022 NFL season as well as Super Bowl 56. Meanwhile, Virginia and Washington DC will continue to benefit from the Maryland residents traveling the DMV to wager.

Maryland sports betting has been endorsed by Governor Larry Hogan heavily and voted into law by the residents. There is support for the market’s launch, so these delays are not due to a lack of effort.

The SWARC has asked for more information consistently in regards to the betting applicants, which could have led to this big delay to Fall 2022. By then, the commission will likely have all the information they need to issue out licenses.

News tags: Annapolis | Baltimore Orioles | Baltimore Ravens | John Martin | Maryland | Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Agency | Sports Wagering Applicant Review Commission | SWARC