Another Maryland sports betting location has launched with the opening of the TwinSpires sportsbook at Ocean Downs Casino on Dec. 17, 2021. Both TwinSpires and Ocean Downs Casino are owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated.
TwinSpires is the fourth sportsbook to go live in Maryland since the state legalized sports betting on May 18, 2021. Other retail sportsbooks are now open at MGM National Harbor (BetMGM), Live! Casino in Hanover (FanDuel), and Horseshoe Casino Baltimore (Caesars).
“The partnership between TwinSpires and Ocean Downs Casino now allows Marylanders to bet on even more than the ‘Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,’ and we look forward to offering an unparalleled sports betting experience,” Churchill Downs SVP and Chief Technology Officer Ben Murr said in a statement.
A fifth sportsbook is expected to open at Hollywood Casino Perryville (Barstool) this week.
Also Read: University of Maryland, PointsBet announce rare sports betting partnership
Maryland’s Sports Betting Vetting Process
The five sportsbooks are among 17 locations that are eligible for non-competitive sports betting facility licenses under Maryland’s 2021 sports betting law. All five were awarded sports betting licenses by the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) on Nov. 18.
Once awarded by SWARC, licenses can be issued by Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) staff after each facility successfully completes two days of controlled betting demonstrations, monitored by state regulators.
Barstool Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Perryville is expected to be licensed this week after MLGCA staff monitor operations there.
Also Read: 5 Things to Know about college sports betting in Maryland
More Maryland Retail Sportsbooks On The Way
Three off-track betting sites included among the 17 locations eligible for non-competitive licenses under 2021 Maryland sports betting law are also expected to be licensed soon.
The latest is Greenmount Station in Hampstead, which qualified for a sports wagering facility license on Dec. 16 and was awarded a license by SWARC on Dec. 20. It is expected to be licensed by the MLGCA soon.
The other two OTBs expected to be licensed soon are Long Shot’s in Frederick, and Riverboat on the Potomac in Colonial Beach, Va., which operates in Maryland. Those two facilities were awarded licenses by SWARC on Dec. 8 and are expected to open in early 2022.
The 2021 Maryland sports betting law also allows up to 30 additional retail licenses and up to 60 mobile sportsbooks to be issued. Applications for those licenses aren’t expected to be vetted by SWARC, or issued by MLGCA staff, until sometime next year.
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