The Maryland House of Representatives approved a bill this week that, if passed by the Senate, would allow sports betting online, at casinos, and at stadiums for the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles, and the Washington Football Team
Maryland expects to make $15-$19 million annually from betting, and would join other states capitalizing on in-stadium wagering.
Illinois and Washington D.C. allow in-person sportsbooks to operate at venues, and legislation in Virginia will allow mobile wagering. Seven other states — including Maryland — have pending bills.
Capital One Arena introduced in-venue betting in August 2020 with William Hill — the first sportsbook inside a U.S. professional sports venue. The temporary setup handled $12.2 million from 113,000 bets in September.
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ PPG Arena announced a partnership with BetRivers last summer as well, and the Chicago Cubs revealed plans for a DraftKings sportsbook near Wrigley Field in 2022. The Washington Nationals and BetMGM are set to open the first onsite sportsbook in an MLB stadium this summer.
Last month, the NFL said it would allow betting lounges at stadiums in states where sports betting is legal, although placing in-person bets in the lounges would still be prohibited.
