The SuperBook Sports lounge at Camden Yards is officially open, but bettors visiting the location for Baltimore Orioles home games will have to place wagers with competing mobile sportsbooks, at least in the immediate future.
The lounge is not a retail sports betting facility, but rather a bar and restaurant that caters to sports bettors visiting the Orioles’ ballpark. Customers are encouraged to wager on their mobile apps, but SuperBook Sports’ mobile app has yet to go live in Maryland. Instead, customers can use platforms like BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and FanDuel. SuperBook Sports is licensed in Maryland, and it’s only a few small logistical steps away from going live in the state.
“We will launch sometime in April,” Kristin Mackey, SuperBook Sports’ vice president of marketing, told Sports Handle.
While the operator certainly would love to have launched in Maryland ahead of the Orioles’ home opener last week, the slight delay hasn’t dampened the company’s spirits surrounding the new venue.
Inside the lounge
Mackey stressed that the lounge inside Camden Yards isn’t a retail sportsbook, something some fans have been confused about in recent weeks leading up to the location’s opening.
“There was never an intention to have it be a retail book initially,” Mackey said.
There aren’t any kiosks or betting windows inside the facility. Instead, the lounge is designed to give fans a great sports bar experience. The location includes 38 TVs and a 150-inch LED wall, as well as tickers with betting odds and an assortment of food and drink options.
“It’s the ultimate sports bar experience,” Mackey said. “It’s taking the heritage of our sports book in Las Vegas, the SuperBook Westgate in Las Vegas, and taking it out to the East Coast.”
While you can’t see the game on the field from the establishment, there is a live feed showing the proceedings on TV. Understandably, some fans will likely stay away from visiting the bar during game action because they can watch and wager on mobile platforms from their seats. Currently, the location will be open on Orioles home game days, although the hours could expand at a later date.
The location makes for a particularly good gathering spot before first pitch, as fans can currently arrive early to grab food and drinks while watching an NBA playoff game or another major sporting event before settling in for the Orioles’ home matchup. This weekend, for instance, fans could have watched coverage of The Masters before seeing the Orioles compete against the Yankees.
Once the app goes live in Maryland, customers will be able to wager on SuperBook Sports’ platform from their seats and in the bar.
Do fans approve?
As part of its partnership with the Orioles, SuperBook Sports also has signage around the stadium. Some fans have voiced frustration on social media about a SuperBook sign on the scoreboard that reads, “Good teams win, great teams cover.”
Connor Newcomb, host of the Locked on Orioles podcast, says there’s moderate annoyance regarding the sign from a section of fans who don’t love gambling.
They should replace the PNC sign with a Marlboro sign and we’d really be onto something
— Czar Nicolas (@CzarNicolas2) March 29, 2023
“Besides the actual action on the field, that video board is the place fans are looking the second-most often during the game,” Newcomb said. “To have not only a sports betting advertisement right there, but to have it be somewhat of an inside reference for sports bettors, is kind of off-putting. I think it does give off a bit of a ‘the Orioles care about covering the spread’ to some people, which is not what you want.”
However, Newcomb added that, generally speaking, fans aren’t that perturbed. In fact, plenty of fans who enjoy wagering will likely visit the location either during the game or prior to the first pitch. For a sports bettor, what’s not to like about a sports bar with a wagering focus?
There’s even hope among some fans that the location could one day turn into a retail sportsbook.
“I think some fans will really like it. I think there will just be some general excitement about a new restaurant at the ballpark, and it being right on Eutaw Street always makes it a cool spot to eat and drink,” Newcomb said. “Plus, with SuperBook already there, I think some fans have the feeling that it may eventually turn into a sportsbook, which fans who enjoy placing a wager or two may be more excited about.”
