Maryland Voters to DECIDE on Legal Sportsbook

Maryland voters will decide whether to make sports betting legal or not in November. During the final day of the legislative session, the General Assembly approved a measure to put the topic of sports betting legalization on the fall ballot.

However, lawmakers left out many of the key elements on how sportsbooks can operate in the state. The House of Delegates hesitated to pass the bill approved by the Senate. In the original version of the law, people can bet on sports at nine locations.

The locations where sports betting will be allowed are race tracks, casinos, and the FedEx Field. Also, the venues can operate an online wagering app. Thus, Marylanders can wager on sports anywhere they are in the state.

Maryland Voters to Decide on Sports Betting

The House of Delegates is not in favor of the Senate’s version of sports betting in the state. However, it is willing to support a stripped-down version of the bill. They want to legalize sports betting to generate more funds for the state’s education initiatives, according to pay per head news.

The good news is that there’s a small chance that lawmakers will tackle the topic again in May if the special session becomes a reality. Also, several details on how Maryland will roll out sports wagering will be left to a General Assembly in the future.

Based on bookie pay per head reports, casinos and race tracks lobbied throughout the 2020 session to influence the final version of the bill. Also, Washington Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder voiced out his appeal to allow his company to offer sports betting in the FedEx Field stadium.

According to a political forum, some senators were frustrated about the House’s refusal to pass the original version of the bill. They questioned the amended bill that the House passed late on the last day of the legislature.