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Md. General Assembly Not Voting On Legalizing Sports Betting In 2019

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- The Maryland General Assembly will not vote on legalizing sports betting this year.

Maryland had hoped to get a jump on other states by passing a bill to allow sports betting through the lottery, but Attorney General Brian Frosh put the kibosh on that plan, citing an amendment in the State Constitution that any expansion of gambling must go to the voters.

Asked about the bill Thursday, Senate President Mike Miller explained, "We have an Attorney General who's opined that because of this language we're going to have to wait until next year to change the language in the constitution. "

According to a recent Gonzales Poll, Marylanders are divided, with 49 percent in favor of sports betting and 36 percent against it.

Betting on horses and at casinos is already legal in Maryland, and according to Miller, an effort last year to legalize sports betting failed to get a consensus on who would operate it, the racetracks, the casinos, or both. That prevented the question from going to the voters last year.

"It's a mistake when you put something in the Constitution, the Constitution's our charter, and when you put something in the Constitution it can only be changed by the people who vote for it," said Miller.

With no statewide elections this year, the earliest Maryland could put the question to the voters is 2020.

"That's what we're going to have to do so sports betting is going to have to wait until next year in my opinion," he said.

Pennsylvania, Delaware and the District of Columbia have already legalized sports betting.

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