Maryland responsible gambling bill clears house hurdle

Maryland lawmakers have approved a set of sports betting bills aimed at enhancing responsible gambling practices and regulating universities partnerships with sportsbooks.

The bills, which will now head to Governor Wes Moore’s office, have already had their effectiveness questioned, as doubts persist over how much real-world impact they would have due to recent changes in the industry.

The legislation of SB 620 and HB 802 for instance aim to ban college sportsbook partnerships if the sports marketing entity or the institution receives compensation for student participation in sports betting. 

But college sportsbook partnerships advertising sports betting may no longer be a pressing issue since the American Gaming Association now discourages such deals.

In a similar vein, SB 621 is focused on auditing handicappers who have affiliate links associated with Maryland’s licensed sportsbooks, and is aimed at ensuring transparency in the industry.  

The bill however does not require licensed sportsbooks to use an independent evaluator such as SharpRank. The evaluation process is optional and will increase the workload for the Maryland Lottery, which is responsible for licensing these evaluators

Besides, Maryland’s licensed sportsbooks are not partnering with questionable touts, and the problem lies with the unregulated market, where dubious and many unscrupulous touts operate.