Is Maryland the Next State to Legalize Online Betting?

April 24, 2021 Peter Bradshaw

Will Maryland Follow Michigan’s Online Betting Legalization?

The sports betting industry is one of the fastest-growing, most profitable industries globally so there is no wonder why many countries where such activities are illegal are considering making some changes. As of May 14, 2018, sports betting activities finally became legal in the United States. On this specific day, the United States Supreme Court brought a new ruling that struck down the PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) from1992.

According to this law, sports gambling was prohibited under State law. Also known as the Bradley Act, it became effective back on October 28, 1992. After many years, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act which outlawed all sorts of sports betting activities in the USA was overturned and can no longer define the status of sports betting nationwide. The PASPA excluded Montana, Delaware, and Oregon sports lotteries as well as Nevada sports pools.

Back in May of 2018 when the sports betting legalization in the United States kicked off, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act conflicts with the Amendment X of the Constitution. Today, sports betting activities are legal in many states including Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, while sports betting in Michigan is also legal.

Sports Betting in the United States

In the United States, sports betting became legal in May of 2018 after the Supreme Court declared that the PASPA from 1992 was unconstitutional. Once this major obstacle was removed, every state nationwide has the right to make its own decision. In other words, every state can legalize its sports betting market and considering how profitable the industry is, many states have already legalized sports betting activities including:

Colorado
Arkansas
Illinois
Delaware
Michigan
Pennsylvania
West Virginia

In the United States, sports betting is also legal in New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Iowa, Indiana, Montana, Tennessee, Virginia, and New Carolina. When it comes to sports betting in Michigan, legal sports betting in the state commenced on March 11, 2020, and two retail casinos launched in Detroit that same day.

Michigan Sports Betting

When it comes to online sports betting in the Wolverine State, it was legalized on January 22, 2021. This made possible after Gretchen Whitmer the state’s Governor signed and approved the Lawful Sports Betting Act law. According to this law, Michigan residents can place real-money bets on a variety of sports even college sports. The very first real-money wagers were placed in March of 2020 at MGM Grand, Greektown Casino, and MotorCity Casino in Detroit.

After officially approving online sports betting activities in January 2021, Michigan became one of many States where online sports betting is legal. The very first online sports betting sites to launch in the state were FanDuel and BetMGM thanks to their partners MotorCity Casino Hotel and MGM Grand Detroit while William Hill, BetRivers, and PointsBet followed their steps shortly.

Maryland Following Michigan’s Steps

While many states have legalized some or all sports betting activities within their borders, several states are taking the same steps. Maine, Oklahoma, and Nebraska have already taken some legislative steps while South Dakota, Louisiana, Wyoming, Washington, and Maryland have permitted some sports betting activities.

When it comes to sports betting in the state of Maryland, the state’s voters back in November 2020 have approved sports betting for raising revenues. After sports betting was overwhelmingly supported by Maryland voters, a completely new sports betting bill was also approved in April 2021. This means that the Old Line State that is home to around six million people will become one of the latest states to take steps toward legalizing sports betting activities. While sports betting has been legalized, bettors will have to wait a couple of months to start placing bets as legal sportsbooks will launch later this year.