A Maryland bill inspired by a series of'New York Times articles about sports betting began its journey through the state Senate on Wednesday.'
SB 620, introduced by Sen. Shelly Hettleman, plans to prohibit colleges and universities from forming a partnership with a sports betting operator “if the institution of higher education receives compensation for student participation in certain sports wagering.” The bill also hopes to make public the specifics of any partnerships between sports betting companies and universities in Maryland.'
Inspired by PointsBet deal
The New York Times reported in November that the University of Colorado formed a deal with PointsBet that included a $1.6 million payment in addition to a $30 bonus for every person that signed up for the app via a referral code. Following pushback, the two sides changed that aspect of the deal.'
Upon reading the story, Hettleman wanted to avoid any similar issues in Maryland, especially with the University of Maryland partnered with PointsBet.