Photo credit Wpadington.

With the launch of seven mobile platforms and a new retail location, Maryland’s combined mobile and retail sports wagering handle during November 2022 totaled $219,071,374, and sportsbooks generated $704,728 for the state.

Each sports wagering licensee contributes 15% of its taxable win to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education programs.
Maryland’s first seven mobile sportsbooks held eight hours of controlled demonstration wagering on Nov. 21, and launched at 9 a.m. on Nov. 23. In nine days of operations during November, mobile sports wagering handle was $186,084,496. That amount included $63,835,319 in free promotional play, which is provided to customers by sportsbooks and is deducted from the taxable win. As a result, mobile wagering accounted for $4,262 in contributions to the state in its first nine days.

“We expect mobile sportsbook operators to continue to offer a lot of promotional wagers in the coming months as they venture into a new market and work to attract customers,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “There was tremendous pent up demand, and a lot of people are utilizing promotional offers from multiple operators simultaneously. But as many of the operators have acknowledged, this level of promotional play is not sustainable, and based on our regulations, it will be curtailed over time.”

Maryland’s sports wagering regulations do not limit the amount of a sportsbook’s promotional play in its first full fiscal year of operation. After that timeframe, however, regulations require that a sportsbook’s promotional play amount may not exceed 20% of its taxable win from the prior year.

Here are the statewide sports wagering totals for November 2022:

Handle (Amount players wagered, including promotional wagers provided to players by sportsbooks)
• Retail: $32,986,878
• Mobile: $186,084,496 (includes $63,835,319 in mobile promotional wagers)
• Combined: $219,071,374

Prizes (Winnings paid to players)
• Retail: $28,234,802
• Mobile: $160,216,032
• Combined: $188,450,835

Hold (Handle less prizes paid)
• Retail: $4,752,076 (14.4%)
• Mobile: $25,868,463 (13.9%)
• Combined: $30,620,539 (14.0%)

Taxable Win (Amount remaining after paying winners and deducting promotional play and other amounts)
• Retail: $4,669,773
• Mobile: (-$38,276,855)
• Combined: (-$33,607,083)

Sports Wagering Tax (15% of the taxable win)
• Retail: $700,466
• Mobile: $4,262
• Combined: $704,728

Since the inception of Maryland’s sports wagering program in December 2021:

• Cumulative contribution to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund: $6,129,760

• Cumulative expired prizes contributed to the Problem Gambling Fund: $1,043,521

Maryland’s sports wagering market launched in December 2021 with the opening of five retail sportsbooks. Four retail locations and seven mobile sportsbooks have launched in 2022, and additional retail locations and mobile sportsbooks are expected to launch in the near future. A detailed breakdown of each sportsbook is available for download at mdgaming.com.