Governor of Maryland wants mobile betting in time for NFL season

Along with a large number of people in Maryland who seek to wager on sports legally over the internet, Republican Governor Larry Hogan has become impatient with state regulatory agencies that are responsible for awarding licenses for the developing sector of online sports betting.

Gov. Hogan wants to see additional work done so that mobile sports betting may be up and operating in time for the start of the new season of the National Football League (NFL) in September. He has requested that the State Gaming Commission expedite the approval process for numerous mobile sports betting licenses.

The Republican, who has served two terms in office, has requested that the state’s Sports Wagering and Application Review Commission (SWARC) set the start date for sports wagering on September 8.

Hogan did write a letter to the SWARC, which is the last obstacle that has to be overcome in order for licensee applicants to begin the process of establishing things up. He indicated that the current predicament was the consequence of needless delays, and he became even more upset by the fact that several nearby regions had all acted far more quickly than Maryland had.

“Marylanders have grown frustrated waiting for mobile sports wagering as they have watched it become available in state after state across the country, including our neighboring jurisdictions of Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. I share their frustration, and I call upon you to immediately take the steps that I have outlined below,” he added.

“To make that target date achievable, it is imperative that you immediately accelerate and intensify your efforts.”

Over a year after Hogan authorized sports betting in Maryland, it’s still limited to retail sportsbooks at five casinos. Hogan says that far more than 80% of legal retail and betting is done online.

Hogan said mobile operations are on hold, costing the state millions in tax income. The Republican adds that many citizens travel to Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania to place legal bets on their mobile devices. There is no sport that is more well-liked by bettors than NFL football. And the Baltimore Ravens are the team that gets the most Marylanders excited about football in the state of Maryland.

In the measure concerning sports betting in Maryland, politicians focused on ensuring equity. However, Hogan maintains that this objective should not prevent or considerably delay access for residents of Maryland to legal online sports betting sites.

“The mobile sports wagering marketplace is extremely capital-intensive and highly competitive (high-risk, low-margin), and dominated by only a few companies,” Hogan continued in his SWARC letter. 

“Setting up an arbitrary points system or setting unachievable minority equity ownership goals will likely only hurt those entities you are trying to help.

“Our state and its citizens deserve clear and definitive action — not endless bureaucratic roadblocks. Approve mobile sports wagering license applications on a rolling basis,” Hogan declared.

“I am calling on SWARC to act now by prioritizing the awarding of mobile licenses for any of the retail entities … that have already been found qualified [to operate in-person sports betting].”
 
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