The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) has officially opened applications for mobile sports betting in the state of Maryland.
The application period opened yesterday (6 September) and will end at 5pm on 21 October. The application fee for mobile licenses is $500,000.
SWARC approved a number of draft regulations for mobile sports betting in July. The following month, on August 26, the regulations were published in the Maryland Register.
In June, Maryland’s governor Larry Hogan asked SWARC to “immediately accelerate and intensify” the approval process for the regulations.
Also on August 26, SWARC chair Thomas Brandt wrote to senator Sarah Elfreth and delegate Samuel Rosenberg, requesting that the Joint Committee on Administrative, Legislative and Executive Review approve the proposed regulations.
SWARC has instigated a period for accepting comments on the regulations, which began on August 26 and ends on September 26. All comments will be published on the SWARC website after the submission period closes.
A public meeting, situated at the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Headquarters, will also be held on September 9 to allow public comments on the regulations.
Online and retail sports betting was legalized in Maryland last year after the state voted in favor of it during the November 2020 referendum. Retail betting has been available for nine months, but there has been no online betting launch to date.