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Maryland, Ohio, and Massachusetts regulators all announced the latest steps Wednesday (October 19) on their respective paths to launching sports betting.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) announced 29 companies submitted scoping surveys in advance of Monday’s deadline, a required part of the sports-betting license application process and a further indicator for the commission as to the interest in the market.
“The survey sought specific company information and will help provide the MGC with valuable information ahead of application submissions and the applicant evaluation process,” the commission said in a statement.
Of those 29, 23 were for “Type C” licenses that allow operators to offer mobile betting. The commission can issue up to 16 mobile licenses, with nine being linked to a land-based operator and seven being untethered licenses that can be awarded through a competitive process.
The commission is set to discuss the potential selection process at a meeting on Thursday.
The full application for operators, along with a $200,000 application fee, is due November 21.
Meanwhile, in Maryland, ten operators have already submitted applications for mobile sports wagering licenses and the regulator has also received three applications for retail licenses ahead of Friday’s deadline, with many more expected for up to the 60 mobile and 30 additional retail licenses that can be issued by the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC).
“I think most of the commissioners have seen mountains of paper coming their way, so they have some awareness of the application process and I think that that order of magnitude is consistent with what we've been led to expect as to the volume of mobile licenses in Maryland,” said Thomas Brandt, the chair of SWARC.
“And the door’s still open for a few more days,” Brandt said.
Each of the ten mobile applications, plus one of the retail applicants, will be on the agenda at an October 27 Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission meeting to be deemed qualified for selection by SWARC. Applicants must receive approvals from both bodies in order to obtain licensure.
SWARC will meet next on November 21, which could potentially set the stage for the commission to approve its first group of operators and facilitate a launch prior to the end of 2021.
In Ohio, on the other hand, the launch date remains effectively set in stone as January 1, 2023, but key deadlines remain for operators, as companies must submit a range of compliance materials, including responsible gaming plans, house rules and other documents, to the Ohio Casino Control Commission by November 2.
The commission on Wednesday also approved the state's first so-called Type C sports-betting proprietors, or companies that will provide full-service retail solutions for the nearly 1,400 sports gaming host locations such as bars, restaurants and grocery stores that have been pre-approved by the Ohio Lottery Commission to offer sports wagering kiosks.
On Wednesday, the OCCC approved four companies — UBet Ohio, Intralot, BetSkybox, and betIGG — as proprietors, with three applications remaining under review.
