Maryland sports betting took off during first full month

Peter LewisPeter Lewis | February 16, 2022
Maryland sports betting took off during first full month

Back in early December when Maryland sports betting was given the green light, folks all over the place couldn’t have been more excited to be able to place their wagers. It was something Maryland had been hoping to get done for a while, with things becoming official on Dec. 9. Now, more than 30 states have made things legal, and it’s no surprise Maryland sports betting took off during its first full month.

While the numbers that came in for December were great, things indeed didn’t get started until Dec. 9. So, with all of January available for people to make bets, local officials were curious to see how things would turn out. There were a lot of options for betting, as the NFL postseason was in full swing, while things were most definitely heating up in the NBA world as well. So, just how great were the numbers?

According to a local report, Maryland raked up more than $32 million for sports betting in January. While this may not be the kinds of numbers you’d see for Las Vegas sports betting or things over in the Big Apple with New York’s opening weekend being unreal, this is still something to be incredibly proud of for Maryland as a whole. For people in office, the numbers were awesome to see for all involved.

“We’ve been behind,” Maryland governor Larry Hogan said in December right before Maryland officially launched its sports betting venture. “People have been betting in our neighboring states and in other places,” Hogan said. “It’s been a long time coming, and I think it’s going to be good.”

The NFL postseason made a huge impact on Maryland sports betting

As you might have been able to guess, the NFL postseason made a huge impact on Maryland sports betting this time around. This isn’t a surprise, as the NFL really is kind when it comes to people checking out the different odds and making wagers. For Maryland, they of course saw plenty of people check out the Super Bowl odds and then get in bets before the Rams and Bengals faced off earlier this month.

According to a report, the majority of the bets for the Super Bowl out of Maryland went on the Rams to win over the Bengals. Those bets proved to be on the money, as Los Angeles was able to come away with a thrilling 23-20 win. In that victory, Matthew Stafford was able to find Cooper Kupp in the end zone late in the fourth quarter to seal things for Los Angeles. People in Maryland went nuts after the Rams won.

Now, more and more bets will be coming in the future from Maryland for the NFL. Keep in mind that the first legal bet in Maryland didn’t take place until December, as stated above. That means that people in Maryland didn’t have a full NFL season for their wagers. Imagine how much bigger and better things are going to be for the citizens now that they can place bets for every single game starting Week 1.

Not just that, but futures picks are already being made as well and people in Maryland can take advantage of that. Right now, the Chiefs hold the best odds at +600, while the Bills are +750 and the Rams are +1000. People are of course going to get bets early for next year’s Super Bowl because the payout is so high. Those odds will change, so people in Maryland will know to go with their guts early.

Mobile sports betting still hasn’t passed in Maryland

While there’s plenty of excitement with the success of the legal wagers, keep in mind that mobile sports betting still hasn’t passed in Maryland. This means that people who have already taken advantage of sports betting in the state have had to do so in person at one of the authorized locations. Unlike other places across the USA, people in Maryland haven’t been able to use apps to get their favorite bets in.

Things are expected to change for Maryland here, though, with local officials still going through some loops to try and get things cleared. However, it’s going to take a little while for that to get done. In an article posted by the Baltimore CBS affiliate, it has been reported that online mobile betting may not be on the table until September the earliest. The key thing was getting sports betting legal.

Now, the in-person ones are allowed which is great, but people are looking forward to the ease and convenience of being able to do things on the go. Right now, people do have to drive to the authorized spaces for betting and get their wagers in that way. Across the world, just being able to check odds on your mobile and get in a bet that way has become increasingly popular.

For people in Maryland, they’re most definitely thrilled that they can at least bet, but they’re waiting for the mobile option to arrive too. Once that happens, you better believe that it’s going to lead to even more bets being made across the state.

Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis Jr. comes from Mississippi where he and his family spend their days discussing college football and basketball. He's written sports journalism for years after studying journalism at a local university.