• The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) has granted DraftKings a license to operate a sports betting facility. 
• The permit allows the sports gaming giant to operate a sportsbook beneath the grandstand at Timonium Racetrack on the Maryland State Fairgrounds. It is the first step on the company’s path to launching in the state.

Draftkings Sportsbook Still Facing Hurdles

However, additional obstacles must be overcome before this can occur. The Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society, the potential licensee for a sports betting facility, must first be deemed qualified by the MLGCA before the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) can grant its facility a license.

Timonium Racetrack, owned by the Maryland State Fair and Agricultural Society, was one of the state’s original 17 approved retail sports betting locations at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. It operates as an off-track betting and simulcast center on the fairgrounds.

In December 2020, DraftKings and the Society entered a 10-year gaming partnership, with both parties splitting the cost of renovating the proposed sportsbook location. The sports betting giant could enter the online sports betting industry through its partnership with the racetrack or with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.

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Maryland Gaming Scene Heating Up

The MLGCA unanimously approved DraftKings’ application for a license to operate a sports betting facility, with one member abstaining. Twelve of the seventeen designated entities for retail sports betting have been approved thus far, with half of them – MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino, Horseshoe Casino, Hollywood Casino, Ocean Downs Casino, and Bingo World – are already in operation.

However, a launch date for mobile wagering in the Free State has yet to be determined, despite the SWARC’s announcement earlier this month that it could occur as early as 2023. Maryland’s delay in instituting online sports betting is the longest of any U.S. jurisdiction, with a referendum on sports betting scheduled for 2020.

The SWARC is scheduled to meet again today, and it is anticipated that the proposed online gambling regulations will be approved at the meeting. In addition, the commission could consider DraftKings’ application for retail sports betting, which has been supported by the Lottery but requires the SWARC’s final approval.