Maryland sports betting delayed again

If you were hoping to bet on sports in Maryland during Thursday Night Football, you're going to have to keep waiting.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Thursday Night Football kicks off on FOX 5 tonight, but if you live in Maryland and were looking for a place to bet legally, you’re going to have to keep waiting.

Wednesday night, the state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Committee, which is tasked with approving the casino sports gambling applications, ended its meeting without taking any action on the five casino applications that have been sitting in front of them for weeks.

PODCAST: Rambling & Gambling with Josh Rosenthal

The approval is needed before Maryland Lottery can give its final approval.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says the delay is ignoring the will of the voters.

Maryland’s Lottery Director John Martin says he’s frustrated too – so today he approved companies including FanDuel, Caesar’s and Bet MGM as partners in the casino sportsbooks while the casinos wait.

"Every week we in Maryland are sitting around while Pennsylvania Virginia the District of Columbia, Delaware and West Virginia, all of the touchpoints – all of the places that touch the state of Maryland are all offering sports wagering," Martin said.

"If in fact they don’t act to approve these immediately, and the legislature gets their way in ignoring the law, it’s going to be at least a year anyone get the ability to do gambling in Maryland on sports betting," Hogan said.

Maryland’s casino operators aren’t happy either. Maryland Live in Anne Arundel County has spent millions creating the "Sports and Social" area of its casino to be home to FanDuel Sportsbook.

But as the bureaucracy has turned from days to weeks to months, Maryland Live’s President Rob Norton says the delay is costing money and jobs.

"We are definitely disappointed that we’re still not able to offer sports betting to the state of Maryland at this point! We have a phenomenal facility – you’ve seen it – we’re ready to move forward. But at this point we’re STILL waiting for all these required processes to be complete," Norton said.

Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather

The SWARC meetings are closed door – but Hogan says the delay has to do with the committee trying to add in other gambling providers, along with five casinos that by law were supposed to go first.

The commission will meet two weeks from today to consider approving the applications again.

Maryland