The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission has approved two more businesses for sports betting licenses. The decision brings the number of mobile and retail licenses the commission has awarded to 31.
Among the companies licensed is Veterans Services Corp., which runs the DC Lottery, reports The Daily Record. The firm has played a key role in running the lottery for the last 12 years as a subcontractor for Greek company Intralot.
The commission has also recently granted Whitman Gaming a license to open a betting facility inside the Sports and Social bar in North Bethesda. Meanwhile, Veterans Services’ license is for mobile sports betting.
According to local media, Whitman Gaming will offer bets through FanDuel, while Veterans Services will have mobile betting through Bee-Fee Limited, a remote gaming software company based in London, as part of a revenue-sharing agreement.
“Our partnership, as a vendor to the DC Lottery, has returned over $500 million to the district,” Emmanuel Bailey, president and CEO of Veterans Services, said in a statement.
Before they start taking bets, Whitman Gaming and Veterans Services Corp. will need to complete controlled demonstrations with the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission. These demonstrations include conducting live wagering under observation from staff members.
About one-third of the businesses that the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission has awarded a license to, including Whitman Gaming and Veteran Services Corp., are not yet taking bets. The firms must still complete additional operational and technical requirements that are necessary to open.
Before launching, the businesses must document their internal control procedures, security and surveillance systems and procedures, technology and back-office systems, and responsible gaming plan, notes the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.
The businesses will move through the remaining requirements at their own pace, said Seth Elkin, spokesman for the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, which oversees casinos and sports wagering in the state, as reported by The Daily Record.
In March, the latest reported month, Maryland’s 10 retail and eight mobile sportsbooks generated more than $5.3 million, up from $2.8 million in February and $2.1 million in January. It is thus far the highest monthly revenue generated since the state’s sports betting program launched in December 2021, boosted by the March Madness college basketball tournament.
Through the end of March, the state’s sports gambling program has generated $16.8 million for Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a plan for comprehensive education reform that includes increasing funding for schools by $3.8 billion each year over the course of a decade. Each sportsbook contributes 15% of its taxable win to said program.
