SWARC Chooses Not to Approve Licensing of Sportsbooks Already Approved by MD Lottery
This week the SWARC chose not to approve licensing of the 5 retail sportsbooks that have already received review and approval by the MD Lottery.Instead, they are asking these entities and the other named entities (17 total) to provide information on their ownership structures. The SWARC is pushing to learn whether any of these entities have woman/minority ownership/investors.
In reaction to the SWARC decision to delay, the MD Lottery announced that it is now hoping to launch retail betting in early 2022 (ahead of the Super Bowl).
There is a disconnect between the Governor’s office, which wants to launch retail ASAP and the Attorney General’s office, which remains concerned about providing gender/racial equity for the sports betting industry.
Additional info on the sports wagering rules/comments and process can be found here.