Legal mobile sportsbooks will launch in Maryland next week, the Maryland Lottery announced Thursday. The official mobile sports betting launch will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 23, although the exact time of day that bets will start being accepted has yet to be determined.
Prior to the full launch, mobile sportsbooks will undergo controlled demonstrations. Those controlled demonstrations will last from 2-10 p.m. ET Monday. Mobile sportsbooks will go online during that time, then go offline while the lottery audits their performances. The sportsbooks will be offline Tuesday before a full launch Wednesday.
BREAKING: Marylanders will have mobile sports betting before Thanksgiving.
A full launch will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
— Bennett Conlin (@BennettConlin) November 17, 2022
MD Sportsbook Pre-Launch Offers
BetMGM Sportsbook Maryland
- Promo Code: HANDLE
- Up to $1K paid in free bets if you lose
- Maryland Exclusive Offer
Caesars Sportsbook Maryland- Promo Code: HANDLEPICS
- Exclusive Maryland Offer
- Receive four (4) $25 free bets
FanDuel Sportsbook Maryland Launch- No Promo Code Required
- Exclusive Offer for Maryland
- Tons of player props
Barstool Sportsbook Maryland- Promo Code: HANDLEMD
- $100 Free + $1K Risk-Free
- Exclusive Maryland Offer
PointsBet Maryland- No Promo Code Required
- $200 Free + 5 Risk-Free Bets
- Exclusive Maryland Offer
| Betting App Apple Store + Google Play Scores | MD Sportsbook Offers |
|---|---|
 BetMGM Sportsbook 4.8 stars / 115.4k ratings 4.1 stars / 11.5k reviews | $1k First Bet Insurance |
 Caesars Sportsbook 4.6 Stars / 35.3k Ratings 4.5 Stars / 16k Reviews | Bet $20, Get $100 Free |
 FanDuel Sportsbook 4.8 Stars / 696.8k Ratings 4.7 Stars / 120k Reviews | Bet $5, Get $200 |
 Barstool Sportsbook 4.8 Stars / 23.5k Ratings 3.5 Stars / 1.68k Reviews | Bet $1, Get $100 + $1000 Risk-Free |
| PointsBet Sportsbook 4.8 Stars / 27.3k Ratings 4.7 Stars / 7.57k Reviews | $200 Free On Deposit + 5x $100 Risk Free |
Which sportsbooks are going live?
The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) awarded mobile betting licenses earlier this week to the following 10 operators:
- Barstool Sportsbook
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- betPARX
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
It’s worth noting that Betfred, betPARX, and Fanatics will not launch their mobile sportsbooks next week. Fanatics and Betfred aren’t expected to go live until 2023, while betPARX declined to comment on its official launch plans. The other seven sportsbooks plan to go live next week.
Many of the operators, including BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, and DraftKings, are running pre-launch promotions for Maryland customers. Free bet credits in the $100-$200 range seem to be among the most common offers from operators.
Interestingly, BetMGM accepted mobile bets from customers Wednesday, according to a report from Action Network’s Sam McQuillan. Those bets weren’t supposed to be allowed, and they were ultimately voided by BetMGM.
Customers who placed wagers will receive a $50 credit upon the state’s mobile sports wagering launch.
In all the excitement around Maryland sports betting @BetMGM erroneously started taking wagers early yesterday. Those bets are voided and customers will receive $50 in credit once sports betting launches Nov 23. pic.twitter.com/6pYRwwwQ3w
— Sam McQuillan (@sam_mcquill) November 17, 2022
Long wait nearly over
Marylanders legalized sports betting through referendum in November 2020. Two years later, mobile sportsbooks will finally go live in the state.
The wait was caused mostly by Maryland’s legislation, which required the SWARC to perform a few tasks that turned out to be more time-consuming than anticipated.
“To reach this point, we have had to overcome countless legal, political, and bureaucratic delays that threatened to push back the launch past the Super Bowl next year,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement this week. “It was completely unacceptable to me, and we spent months pressing for decisive action.”
The governor voiced his frustrations in a letter to the SWARC over the summer, requesting a mobile wagering launch by the start of the 2022 NFL season. That goal wasn’t hit, but Marylanders will have legal mobile sportsbooks available to them before the end of the regular season.
Hogan thanked the Maryland Lottery for its work, but notably didn’t thank the SWARC.
