The Maryland Lottery deemed MSF Sports, a subsidiary of the Maryland State Fair and Agriculture Society, qualified for a retail sports wagering license on Thursday. If the license gains additional approval from both the state's Sports Wagering Application Review Commission and the lottery, it will lead to a DraftKings retail sportsbook opening at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.'
The agreement between the Maryland State Fair and DraftKings, which was made in December of 2020, specifies that both parties will share the cost of renovating an area under the grandstands of the fairgrounds' racetrack to allow it to house a retail sportsbook. DraftKings will operate the sportsbook, providing all necessary equipment and personnel to run it.'
DraftKings is operational as a mobile sportsbook in Maryland, but it doesn't yet have a retail presence. Several other major operators, such as BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel, all have retail sportsbooks in the state. FanDuel has two retail sportsbooks in Maryland.'
Maryland's SWARC will next meet on Oct. 18, at which point it could award a retail license to MSF Sports. From there, the entity would still need to go through final technical checks with the lottery before the retail sportsbook could go live.'