Legal sports betting is rolling in many states throughout the country. However, there are still plenty of areas lagging behind the states that have established strong sports betting markets. It’s proven that sports betting is helpful for state economies, which is why many lawmakers have supported the legislation.
Yet, this has not been the case in Maryland and Ohio. There are lawmakers who support sports wagering, but neither state is making progress with betting legislation. There are too many debates about the form of gambling, and until these are solved, nothing will improve.
Maryland Sports Betting Delayed
Maryland’s Sports Wagering Applicant Review Commission delayed a vote for sports betting in the state. The vote was to decide if the state would grand sports betting licenses to five of the casinos in the state.
The governor has been pushing for a quicker legislative process, but this has not come to fruition. The members of the commission met behind closed doors for two hours before revealing that they needed more time before voting on the five sports betting licenses.
They also requested additional information from each of the five casinos. It’s positive that the commission is doing its due diligence, but this also means Maryland is losing potential sports betting revenue.
The next meeting for the commission will occur on Thursday, November 18, to consider the five betting licenses. Members of the committee have not tried to cover up the magnitude and difficulty of this decision.
Thomas Brandt, the chair of the commission, said;
“I usually manage meetings better than these, but I’ve done my best … This has been challenging.”
In May, Governor Larry Hogan signed sports betting into law, hoping that it would launch by football season. However, Maryland law did not allow for this swiftness. The State Lottery & Gaming Control Agency was forced to regulate sports wagering and review applications.
This entire process has been delayed, and there’s nothing Hogan can do besides encourage decision-makers to hurry up to salvage football season. The projections in tax revenue for Maryland sports betting have been over $14 million.
This will be put into Maryland’s public school system for the 2022 fiscal year. There is a multi-billion dollar plan in place to improve the schools, and sports betting will help with the initial costs.
The five casinos that will receive licenses are Hollywood Casino Perryville, Ocean Downs Casino, MGM National, Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, and the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore City.
Ohio Sports Betting in Limbo
Ohio sports betting is in worse shape than Maryland. The form of gambling has been in limbo for months with no signs of improvement. The Senate added sports betting to a House bill that dealt with veterans’ ID cards.
The House did not like that change, and the two legislative chambers are having a hard time compromising. This bill would put sports betting under the Casino Control Commission. One retail sportsbook would be permitted in each of the state’s three cities.
There would also be an additional 33 around the state. Republican Senator Matt Huffman says the state needs to be done losing money to border jurisdictions. He said;
“That’s a huge advantage for those folks, and I don’t think we should continue to extend these advantages to these out-of-state gambling interests. We ought to have an opportunity for the folks in Ohio, if we are going to have sports betting, which I think is inevitable, it is really that one issue that is holding it up.”
Don’t expect Ohio sports betting to be here anytime soon.