Chris Boline
For folks waiting for Maryland sports betting to reach a new level in terms of options, it looks like they’re going to have to keep waiting a little longer. That’s because mobile sports betting in Maryland may not arrive by September as originally planned. For Maryland officials, the hope was that things could get launched at the start of September leading up to the NFL season.
However, there was a recent Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission meeting and the plans to try and finalize mobile sports betting didn’t provide any kind of an update. This is of course concerning news, as the longer the commission waits to finalize plans and give online betting the green light, the longer things will be delayed.
You have to remember that once things are finalized, sportsbooks aren’t going to just be able to launch mobile apps overnight. There’s plenty of planning that needs to go into this, which is why people all over Maryland are so frustrated with why things are taking so long. With things up in the air too, people are left confused as to when they’ll be able to check the best rated sportsbooks and bet on their phones.
As things stand, people can only go to in-person sportsbooks to make any kind of a wager. While this is of course a great option and a fun way to get out and be active, people would much rather prefer to have the flexibility to make a bet either on their laptop, phone or another mobile device. Maryland is losing millions of dollars without having this option on the table. It must change soon.
Maryland Online Sports Betting Delay to Linger Into NFL Season https://t.co/ho7VTWvz80
— 20black (@20black5) May 6, 2022
Mobile sports betting must arrive by NFL time
Needless to say, but mobile sports betting must arrive by NFL time, otherwise this is all going to be an ever bigger loss for Maryland. The state has so many passionate fans and with the Washington Commanders close by, this of course means that people are always going to be checking out the different NFL betting odds for them throughout the season and make some big-time bets.
While those bets are being made now, things are only going to be much higher if people can do things from their mobile devices. It’s not just Washington who people in Maryland are betting on, though. There’s so much drama leading up to the new season, with so many different storylines being presented for both conferences. The Super Bowl odds are already out, with the Bills being the favorites.
They’re not going to be the only team to watch though. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the big news of the offseason was that Tom Brady retired, but then came out of retirement. People are ready to bet big on that squad. As for the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers is ready to lead this team to another strong year, but he’ll have to do so without star wideout Davante Adams. This could be a big blow for the team.
Meanwhile for the Rams, this team looks ready to try and win another Super Bowl. The loss of Von Miller hurt, but they were able to sign Bobby Wagner after the Seahawks released him. On top of that, the Chiefs are always a threat. Despite trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, Patrick Mahomes will be set to put on a show from start to finish, as he’s hoping to get things done in a big way.
BetMGM plans online sports betting launches in Kansas & Ohio. It is live in:
Arizona
Colorado
DC
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Maryland*
Michigan
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Ontario
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Wyoming*Online pending; retail open
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) May 12, 2022
People are calling for online betting to get here
The fact that people are calling for online betting to get here for Maryland is no surprise at all. Things being in limbo has only caused more and more confusion for people and they’re starting to lose patience. A quick look on Twitter shows that all of the uncertainty has left people quite frustrated, as they’re left guessing as to when legal mobile betting will arrive.
Again, it was a major victory for the state when sports betting was legalized to start. There was so much illegal activity going on that it was time for legislators to step up and make sure that all gambling was being regulated. We’re seeing how much of a problem this is around the country, especially in places where betting is still illegal. It’s an issue in Florida, Texas, California and more.
Maryland was able to get on top of this and move forward. However, with all the uncertainty surrounding what’s going to happen with mobile options, it’s become an issue for the sports bettors in the state. They’re trying to not get their hopes up, but now it feels like a September start won’t go down. If things are delayed even further, it’ll be an ever bigger problem.
Imagine if Maryland keeps sitting on its hands like this and the full NFL season comes and goes without mobile options. That’d be a blow for the state’s potential revenue and football fans as a whole. They need to find some sort of a settlement for this as soon as possible.
