Around the Horn – Sports Betting in the U.S.

Every week, the U.S, sports betting community bombards residents with new information related to the country’s sports betting endeavors. With more than 30 states now allowing residents to place legal sports bets, the information is constantly flowing. For the week ending October 16, 2022, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Kansas all had some important sports betting news to share with their residents.

Consultants Hired to Help Resolve Massachusetts Sports Betting Launch Date Issues

In recent weeks, it has become clear that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission MGC) is struggling to designate a launch date for sports betting in the state. This comes after legislators and Governor Charlie Baker was able to legalize sports betting in August of 2022.

The main issue has been confusion related to how to roll out each of the three types of sports wagering operators. As a reminder, the state’s sports betting legislation dictates that Type A licenses will be issued to Casinos, Type B licenses will be issued to racetracks and simulcasting facilities, and Type C licenses will be issued to mobile operators.

After reaching a logjam at a recent MGC meeting, Executive Director Karen Wells has announced that consulting firms will be hired to help implement the launch of sports betting in the state. In a release to the press, Wells stated:

“It’s a great win for the MGC to get them on board and have that set to go. I know the team is really excited to have this kind of level of help and this level of professionalism.”

She further made clear that consultants are being brought in to help with the license application review process. The additional manpower is intended to help move the MGC towards the real possibility of a January 2023 launch. That would be in time for Massachusetts sports bettors to have a chance to wager on NFL playoff games and the Super Bowl.

Maryland Sports Bettors Welcome the NFL Back

With the NFL season getting underway on the second Thursday in September, Maryland sports bettors were lying in wait for the first kickoff. To say that September 2022 was a big sports betting month for the state would be a gross understatement.

The final tallies are in for September as follows: According to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission, retail sports betting operators reported $31.37 million in handle, which represented a 60% increase over the $18.6 million reported in August. That is a clear indication that Maryland sports bettors love wagering on NFL games. Note: The state’s coffers will be receiving an infusion of $984K from taxes on gross sports betting revenue received in September.

Kansas Reports First Month Sports Betting Revenue

It’s only been a month since Kansas sports betting operators have been allowed to accept legal sports wagers from residents. According to data released by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly‘s office, Kansas sports betting operators took in $1.3 million in sports betting gross revenue. That means the state of Kansas will be getting $130K in tax revenue.

It is fair to say these numbers were very much in line with expectations.