Arizona and Maryland On Cusp of Joining Legal Sports Betting Community

The growth of the US legal sports betting scene has been impressive to say the least since the 2018 Supreme Court decision to overturn its blanket ban on sports wagering. Two more states gained legislative approval this week and sent those plans to their respective Governors with the understanding they will be signed into law, perhaps as early as this week.

Both Arizona and Maryland have experienced a few hiccups on their way to legalization of sports betting, but each has a seemingly satisfactory set of rules ready and waiting for their Governor's go-ahead. Each state still has some work to do before their official launch but is expected to see legal sports wagering by late-summer, in time for the lucrative NFL season.

Arizona

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey got his wish. After years of debate, negotiations and legal wrangling, sports betting, both mobile and retail along with DFS are coming to his state. New legislation not only allows the state to benefit from something that is going on anyway in the state but also builds on “an opportunity for a modernized gaming compact that will bring in more revenue for our tribal nations and our state budget” that Ducey touted in his State of the State address in February.

Senate Bill 1797 passed by a vote of 23-6-1 on Monday night shortly after the state Senate Committee on Rules had their say earlier in the day. Every recent vote on the subject in the Arizona legislature passed easily – a bit of a shock after years of disagreement on just what the platform was to look like.

Legalization of sports betting was popular in the state among a host of sectors including its pro sports teams. The NFL's Cardinals, NBA's Suns, NHL's Coyotes MLB's Diamondbacks, Phoenix Raceway and the PGA Tour all backed some sort of legalization and hope to have their own venues at their venues. Betting providers, the state’s tribes and business leaders in the state also showed support for such a platform.

10 of the 20 available sports betting licenses are slated to go to the state’s tribes with the others going to retail facilities and sporting venues. The legislation will also influence renegotiated compacts between the tribes - something that has been in the works for years.

It is expected that up to $154.4 million in annual taxable sports betting revenue will be the result of a mature and robust Arizona market and that state and local coffers will be more-than-happy for the funding influx.

Maryland

Maryland House Bill 940 took some time to finally get approval in its General Assembly. Monday's unanimous 47-0 vote changed that and will pave the way for the most comprehensive platform in the country. The House of Delegates later went on to vote 112-16-1 on an amended Senate version – the one that will be sent to Governor Hogan’s desk.

Mobile and retail betting will be allowed under the legislation at casinos, sports stadiums and bars and restaurants wanting to get in on what is sure to be a robust Maryland betting culture. Up to 30 Class B

licenses, up to 60 mobile licenses and an uncapped number of Class A licenses will be awarded in the state.

Maryland's passage is the culmination of months of hard work and moves the ball toward something that lawmakers, sports teams including MLB‘s Baltimore Orioles and the NFL‘s Baltimore Ravens and Washington Football Team, betting providers and voters, who approved the measure by a 2-1 margin in November, were all looking for.

The Maryland legislation, which is just waiting on Governor Larry Hogan's signature also gives light to small, minority-owned and women-owned businesses who will be encouraged to take part as valuable sports betting family members.

Arizona and Maryland Join...

South Dakota and Wyoming who were the first states to legalize sports betting for their states in 2021. After more than their share of contentious debate and in both instances stalling tactics by lawmakers, Arizona and Maryland went down to the wire in their successful attempt to join the legal sports betting family.

With state legislatures adjourning for their 2021 sessions, it remains to be seen if any other states will join the US legal sports betting fray this year. The NFL season is the goal for launch in both states, giving each six or so months to dot all of their “I’s” and cross all of their “T’s”.

Along with the excitement for bettors and regulators in Arizona and Maryland comes a realization that the hard work starts now. But as other participating jurisdictions have shown over and over since 2018, that hard work will be worth it.