MD Sportsbooks Contribute $469K To State In First Month Of Operation

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- In their first month of operation, sportsbooks at five Maryland casinos contributed $469,297 to the state's coffers, Maryland Lottery and Gaming said Monday.

MGM National Harbor Casino received the state's first sports wagering license and opened to the betting public on Dec. 9. Both the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and Live! Casino and Hotel opened sportsbooks the following day.

Players bet $16,552,430 in December, including promotional wagers, and won $13,382,430 -- putting the handle for casinos at $3.17 million.

The state receives a 15% tax on the casino handle after promotional plays and other deductions, including federal taxes, are taken out -- in this case, the total was more than $3.12 million, the agency said.

Live! Casino led the way with $7.1 million wagered, of which more than $5.7 million was paid out in winnings. MGM National Harbor saw nearly $6 million wagered, and Horseshoe saw just over $2.5 million in bets.

December was a busy month for all six of Maryland's casinos. Maryland Lottery and Gaming reported last week they generated $172.9 Million, a 44.9% increase from December 2020, when casinos were operating under capacity restrictions.

It was the second-best month in the history of casino gambling in the state, the agency said.