Hogan: Online sports betting now going live

Gov. Larry Hogan has declared that online, or mobile, sports betting finally will become available this morning, nearly three years after Marylanders voted to make it constitutional.

At 9 a.m., seven online sportsbooks are expected to go live.

“This process took longer than it should have, but we are excited that this launch is in time for fans to place their bets on all the Thanksgiving Day NFL action, college football rivalry weekend, this week’s slate of NBA games, the 2022 World Cup and this Sunday’s Ravens and Commanders games,” Hogan said Tuesday morning.

The companies preapproved by Maryland officials are Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet.

In 2020, Marylanders voted in favor of a ballot referendum legalizing sports betting following changes to a federal law in 2018. Hogan signed the bill officially allowing the practice in the state in 2021. Per Maryland law, 15% of sportsbook profits go toward funding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which provides money to schools in the state. Thus far, about $5.4 million has been generated.

“Sports betting is helping us keep these critical dollars in the state, and is providing another critical revenue source for Maryland schools,” Hogan said.

The state has allowed physical sports betting since Dec. 2021 at locations including Bingo World in Brooklyn Park, Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore and Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover.

But Maryland’s gambling commission didn’t approve the first round of mobile sports gambling licenses until Nov. 16 in an effort to boost racial, ethnic and gender diversity among the licensees.