Sports Betting Has Already Raked In Millions In Maryland. When Does It Go Online?
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- For the first time, betters can cash in on the Super Bowl after the state approved sports betting in Maryland. Now many want to know when betting will go online.
More than $32 million was wagered at Maryland sportsbooks in January, their first full month of operation, Maryland Lottery and Gaming reported Thursday.
Hours before game time, betters are getting in early at Horseshoe Casino to cash in, hoping to avoid the crowd.
"I do a lot of college basketball, NBA," said Ernst Conaway. "[It gets] insane, the line be all the way in the back of the casino. You sit there for two hours trying to get in there."
Two hours and one ticket later, Conaway says he's anxiously waiting for sports betting to go mobile. State officials say they're all in.
"Hopefully we'll be ready to go when they kick off the season later this year," said John Martin, Director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming.
Martin said since approval in December, sports betting has exploded in the state, raking in millions of dollars. He said moving it online brings the casino to your fingertips and expands the market
"It's just going to take us some time to work through all the regulations, application process and get it in place it just quite frankly just a matter of time," Martin said.
But some people say it's not as great as it sounds.
"There's no interaction at all," said TJ Coates, who drove four hours from New Jersey where sports betting is already mobile just to have the in-person experience at Horseshoe.
"I love this more because of the casino and people being around each other and I can go sit next to somebody and talk with them," he said.
Still, Conaway said convenience is key.
"It's so much easier if you have access to it and you don't have to worry about all that getting in the line, checking your ID, Corona, the mask, it's just so much easier," Conaway said.
State officials said the biggest hold-up is determining if mobile sports betting would benefit Maryland or not. If approved - it would be available around September.
