The Maryland Lottery met Thursday, giving initial approval to Queen Sportsbook Maryland for a mobile sportsbook operator license. The operator is “currently evaluating third-party platforms for servers” to operate the mobile entity.'
Queen Sportsbook'next needs to be awarded a license by the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission, which is expected to meet next in mid-May. The SWARC has already awarded 15 mobile sports betting licenses, although only nine digital books are operational in Maryland as of Thursday. Those nine sportsbooks:
- Barstool Sportsbook
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
- SuperBook Sports
Twenty licensees by 2024?
In addition to the nine active mobile sportsbooks in Maryland, Bally Bet, betPARX, Crab Sports, Fanatics Sportsbook, and WynnBET are all licensed in Maryland and could launch in the near future. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Fanatics plans to go live in Maryland “by June.”'
The SWARC received 21 mobile sportsbook applications in its initial application window, meaning the commission still has six licenses left to award in coming months. If Queen Sportsbook is awarded a license in May, that number dips to five licenses left to award.'