The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) has announced that it will bring forward the sports betting license approval meeting to this Wednesday, November 16th fueling speculation that an official industry launch could be imminent.
The meeting was originally scheduled to take place next week but the SWARC has moved that to this week and could award as many as 10 online sports betting licenses during the session.
While the licenses may be approved, this does not mean that sports betting operators can launch immediately. According to the regulations, each operator will then need to work closely with Maryland Lottery and Gaming staff to complete operational requirements. Once they have complete a controlled demonstration of systems and procedures, the approved operators will then be allowed to launch.
The rescheduled meeting of the SWARC means that online sports betting in Maryland could launch in time for Thanksgiving.
Speaking in a press release, SWARC Chair Tom Brandt said:
“We had originally planned our next meeting to be November 21, but we’ve been working with our consultants from Taft Stettinius & Hollister and Spectrum Gaming Group to accelerate the pace and hold it earlier. We thank them for their diligence and professionalism through this process.”
Ten operators will have their applications reviewed at the meeting:
- Barstool (Penn Sports Interactive)
- BetFred
- BetMGM
- BetRivers (RSI MD)
- Caesars (American Wagering)
- DraftKings (Crown MD Online Gaming)
- FanDuel (Betfair)
- Fanatics (FBG Enterprises Opco)
- Parx Interactive Maryland
- PointsBet
Brandt added:
“Our focus for this meeting will be the mobile applicants who have been qualified by MLGCC,” Brandt said. “We will have additional award consideration meetings as SWARC and our advisors continue to review applications, and our next scheduled meeting is December 14. Mobile wagering will account for the bulk of the revenue from sports wagering, and we’re eager to enable Maryland to enter that market.”
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.