There was a welcome Maryland sports betting update this past week. Maryland’s Lottery and Gaming Commission has announced the approval of 11 entities seeking sports wagering licenses in the state. 10 of the businesses are seeking mobile sports wagering licenses, and one business has applied for a Class B facility license.

All eleven of the entities will go before Maryland’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (“SWARC”) in November, who will consider their applications for license awards.

Assessing the Applicants

The initial part of the application process was undertaken by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, who conduct background investigations on businesses to assess if an entity has demonstrated ‘the honesty, integrity, good character and financial stability to be qualified for a sports wagering license’.

Next, the SWARC evaluates applicants’ suitability and whether providing a license will be deemed in the public interest.

The SWARC is also responsible for assessing each entity’s business and marketing plans, plus the ownership structures of the entities who have applied for a sports wagering license. Notably, the SWARC considers the ‘industry experience’ of the sportsbook operators that entities plan on partnering with, but does not evaluate or award licenses to the operators.

Which Entities Will Move Forward?

The following businesses have qualified for mobile sports wagering and will go before SWARC for mobile license awards:

Arundel Amusements, Inc., / Bingo World
BetMGM Maryland Sports, LLC, / BetMGM
Crown MD Gaming / Draft Kings
CZR Maryland Mobile Opportunity, LLC / Caesars
Greenmount Station
Live! Casino and Hotel
Long Shot’s, LLC
Maryland Stadium Sub, LLC
Penn Maryland OSB, LLC / Hollywood Casino
Riverboat on the Potomac

The following sportsbook operators qualified for mobile sports wagering operator licenses:

American Wagering
Barstool
Betfred
BetMGM
BetRivers/Rush Street
DraftKings
Fanatics
FanDuel/Betfair
Parx Interactive
PointsBet

“We’re pleased that we advanced the process today, but of course the work continues,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “We’re also very happy to see such a varied group of businesses become part of this emerging market in Maryland.”

“There is still a flurry of activity ahead of us over the next couple of weeks, but we’re going to see the first mobile wagers placed in Maryland soon,” Martin said. “We know sports fans have been eagerly awaiting that opportunity, and we’re almost there.”