The Odds are Increasingly In Your Favor: Future Sports Betting in Maryland

On Dec. 18, the Council of the District of Columbia voted to authorize sports betting, plausibly to be offered at professional athletic facilities like that of the Washington Nationals or Washington Capitals.  While the bill does exclude college sports and provides strict stipulations about the locations and providers of betting services, it is a “step in the right direction” according to the American Gaming Association.

In Maryland, Governor Larry Hogan has been discussing the proposal for sports betting in Maryland Casinos, such as the MGM Grand casino at National Harbor and the Anne Arundel County Casino, since November 2018.  After the Supreme Court lifted 1992 restrictions on sports betting in May 2018, the Maryland House of Delegates approved a bill to call for a voter referendum on sports betting in the next election, but the bill did not pass the Senate.  The soonest Maryland voters could be allowed to bet on sports is 2021, legislators say.

Proponents of legalizing sports betting in Maryland argue that the increased revenue can be put to good use, and that with the six casinos already running in the state, it makes sense to also allow sports-based gambling.  Walt Whitman High School AP Microeconomics teacher Stephen Hays agrees: “This could be another stream of revenue for schools, or public projects,” he said, similar to the revenue generated by the Maryland Lottery.

On the other hand, legalizing sports betting only increases adult gambling.  Some fans argue that betting on games drives an economic barrier between the fan and the team, while others argue that gambling can be addictive and thus should be prevented.  Various faith-based organizations have cried out against the provision allowing sports betting in Washington, D.C., and don’t want Maryland to head down the same path.

Some local casinos have already looked into hiring employees who will be used to orchestrate sports betting policies.  Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland placed an ad for a Vice President of race and sports book operations back in December, in anticipation of sports betting becoming legal by referendum in 2020. Currently, Marylanders can bet on sports legally in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  Delaware is the only state in the Mid-Atlantic region where betting on NFL teams is legal.

A recent joint poll between the Washington Post and the University of Maryland of 814 registered voters in Maryland indicated that a majority (53%) are in favor of allowing sports betting.  More voters polled indicated that they “strongly disagree” with sports betting than “strongly agree,” however, at 26% versus 24% respectively. Legalizing sports betting is evidently a nonpartisan issue, wherein Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all do not lean heavily one way or the other.

Some voters argue that as people have been betting underground on sports already, it makes sense to legalize and regulate the industry.  Others say sports betting might encourage players to swing games a certain way, purposefully winning or losing games. These voters may get a chance to voice their opinions in a 2020 referendum, contingent upon whether or not a sports betting bill passes this year through both the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate chambers.

Article by MoCo Student staff writer Lindsay Keiser of Walt Whitman High School