Last year, Maryland legislators passed a bill that would allow for the state's sports betting apps to have their content and marketing materials audited by “independent evaluators.” This year, legislators are trying to pass a bill (House Bill 1291) that would mandate the state's sports betting operators have their content audited by approved independent evaluators.
The effort is being met with significant pushback.
A hearing for the bill took place in the House Committee on Ways and Means on Feb. 29, and some state lawmakers questioned both the need for the bill and its overall intent.
The general premise for the bill, which has been vocally supported by SharpRank – a Maryland company expected to perform some of the independent evaluations – is that sports betting content needs a watchdog to ensure its credibility.