On November 18, 2021, Maryland’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) approved five casinos for sports wagering facility licenses allowing casinos partnered with third-party operators to provide retail sports betting. The licenses were awarded to the Hollywood Casino in Perryville (partnering with Barstool), the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore (Caesars), the Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover (FanDuel), the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill (BetMGM), and the Ocean Downs Casino in Berlin (TwinSpires). The Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Commission (Commission) expects to officially issue the licenses within 30-45 days, during which time it will conduct a detailed review of each licensee. John Martin, the Commission’s director, commented that with the approval of the licenses on November 18th, if “all goes well, that would mean a launch date somewhere around the first of the [new] year.” Larry Hogan, Maryland’s Governor reiterated the state’s commitment to issuing these licenses within this timeline, tweeting, “[o]ur administration will continue to work to get sports betting up and running in Maryland as quickly as possible.” continue reading
Jake Etienne Archives
Florida’s Seminole Indian Tribe Launches Mobile Sports Betting Amidst Multiple Lawsuits
On November 1, 2021, mobile sports betting officially launched in Florida as the Seminole Indian Tribe (Tribe) unveiled its Hard Rock Sportsbook App and began to accept wagers on sporting events. Under the current law, the Tribe has exclusive control over sports betting in Florida, so the Hard Rock Sportsbook App is the only mobile sports betting app available for use there. continue reading
Three California Ballot Initiatives Seek Legalization of Sports Betting in 2022
As more states take steps to legalize sports betting, all eyes are on the nation’s most heavily populated state — California. Unlike many of the states where sports betting is – or will soon be – legal, California’s constitution does not give its legislature the power to authorize “lotteries,” a term that includes “games of chance” like sports betting. Accordingly, before the state can take steps to legalize sports betting, California’s constitution must be amended.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board Approves Emergency Sports Betting Rules
On August 19, 2021, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board (Board) published emergency rules (Emergency Rules) relating to the legalization of sports betting. The Emergency Rules went into effect on August 23 and will be in effect for a maximum of 180 days. During this period, officials are expected to take public comment and approve permanentcontinue reading