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Maryland to launch mobile sports betting before Thanksgiving
After a long two-year wait, Maryland sports bettors who were hoping for a mobile option are finally seeing the light at the end of tunnel. FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald tells when Marylanders can start placing mobile bets.
MARYLAND - After a long two-year wait, Maryland sports bettors who were hoping for a mobile option can see the light at the end of tunnel!
On Wednesday, Maryland regulators granted licenses to 10 sports betting operators, clearing the way for mobile sports books to go live next week. The operators will hold "controlled demonstrations" in the coming days to show their systems work, and the first mobile sports bets can start being placed on November 23.
The operators that were granted licenses include Bet MGM, FanDuel, Draft Kings, Horseshoe and the Washington Commanders.
READ MORE: Sports bettors want mobile option in Maryland as football season nears
FOX 5 spoke to MGM National Harbor officials about the news. They say they are ready for more than ready for mobile betting.
"We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time with Virginia just across the bridge and D.C. having it now for some time, I can tell you we’re just all very excited about it," Alex Alvarado from MGM National Harbor tells FOX 5. "I think it’s just one more way that our guests can get to enjoy everything we have to offer, so we’re just excited that there are more ways for customers to be able to enjoy this form of entertainment."
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Impact of mobile sports betting on casinos
The sportsbook at Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland had been busy, even hours before the first pitch of the World Series. But what happens when Maryland gamblers can just bet on their phones? FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal asked gamblers at Maryland Live! Casino if they plan to make bets on their phones once the state allows it.
Fans also expressed their excitement over mobile sports betting launching in the coming week.
"Now I can stay at home! Lay on my bed! And make my bets! Hey, I can’t ask for anything more!" said one fan.
Another added, "I love it! Yes, it’s going to be very convenient! I love it! I love it! I’m very excited about that!"
READ MORE: Will Maryland gamblers ditch casinos for mobile sports betting?
One potential Maryland sports bettor FOX 5 spoke with, pointed out that launching mobile betting will help the state.
"It’s a lot more convenient and why shouldn’t our money stay in Maryland instead of taking our money to D.C., Virginia or wherever!"
The news comes two years after Maryland voters passed a referendum approving sports betting in the state. It took a year for casinos to get the state to allow them to start taking in-person sports bets, while the setting up the infrastructure for mobile betting continued. Both Virginia and D.C. have had their sports betting apps already online.
FOX 5 spoke with John Martin, the Maryland Lottery Director, to learn more about the delay in getting mobile betting up and running. He says the problem was rooted in the complicated licensing system that state lawmakers set up.
"Sure, Draft Kings and FanDuel have been around and they’re national leaders, but they’re the sports operator, they’re not the license holder, and the process that’s taken this long is we’ve had to work with the license holders," said Martin. "Now you understand, and you look back and say ‘wait a minute, now that makes sense’ why did it take so long. Well a lot of these people had to formulate these partnerships, they didn’t exist prior to September or June."
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According to new estimates released by the Maryland Sports Wagering Commission on Wednesday, analysts predict in the first year alone, mobile sports betting will bring in $26 million in tax revenue for the state. By year five, they expected mobile sports betting to bring in close to $100 million dollars.