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Ever since the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 passed by the Congress was unconstitutional in 2018, the federal government can no longer prohibit states from legalizing gambling and sports betting under state law foodiesfact.
Each state across the nation is, therefore, free to determine the legalization of gambling and betting as they see fit. That being said, sports betting in Maryland, for example, has been put to a ballot in 2020 and the majority of voters agreed to legalize both retail and online sports betting in the state of Maryland. With that in mind, let’s see what the state of sports betting in Maryland is.
Retail sports betting
Maryland’s retail sports betting is already fully underway. Maryland’s Lottery and Gaming Control Commission has already prepared rules and regulations for land-based casinos and bookmakers.
Even the Maryland Governor has placed the very first legal sports bet in the MGM National Harbor Casino. The main reason behind both Maryland’s government and voter decision is that gambling industry is, in fact, very profitable. Already, the revenue generated from retail sports gambling has reached $31 million.
By taxing these activities, Maryland’s economy stands to gain a lot of funds for future development projects. That’s why Maryland is one of the first states outside the ones that were excluded from the original Act of 1992, to fully legalize both retail and online gambling and sports betting.
State of the online sports betting
As mentioned before, Maryland has already fully legalized both retail and online sports betting. Although retail sports betting is already launched and operational, online sports betting is still on hold for reasons still unknown.
This is quite strange because the state of Maryland has already issued 60 mobile betting licenses for operators who wish to provide online betting services in Maryland. Everything is official and regulated by state-level laws but nothing is happening yet.
It’s estimated that online sports betting in Maryland is set for launch sometime this year. However, sources predict that this may not happen until 2023. It remains to be seen how the events will unfold because no official statements have been released yet.
Sports betting in Maryland today
Ever since the Maryland State Lottery Agency was established in 1972 igadgetnow, gambling was popular in this state. It wasn’t until 2008 that voters in Maryland ratified the amendment allowing slot machines to be installed in Baltimore City and other counties across the state.
Today, a few years later Maryland is one of the most popular tourist destinations due to, not in small part igadgetnewstoday, to the fact that both online and retail gambling and sports betting are now fully legal in this state.
People from other states where the legality of gambling and sports betting is still being argued over, come to Maryland to enjoy these activities in peace. This is good for Maryland because the longer other states debate the matter at hand people will flock to Maryland to play casino games and place sports wagers thus boosting Maryland’s economy per se.
By regulating gambling with laws and rules, Maryland can tax the gambling industry operating there and increase the state’s own revenue. As for the people who enjoy sports betting and gambling in Maryland, they are quite happy to have these services available to them.
Closing Words
Both retail and online gambling newspinup, as well as sports betting are now fully legal in Maryland. All that remains is for online sports betting to become operational and Maryland will have the full package. This will certainly put Maryland back on the map as one of the most popular destinations for gambling and sports betting enthusiasts.
