Marylands online gambling expansion encountered a hurdle.
As the adage goes, “All that shines is not precious metal,” and this perfectly illustrates the current situation of internet wagering in Maryland.
Maryland internet gambling is now an aspiration. What other gambling expansions are there in 2024?
Despite the hype and talk surrounding online gambling in March, back in the autumn, operators, providers, advisors, legislators, and many others in the US gambling sector were promoting the possibility of Maryland legalizing online wagering.
On Monday (April 8), those possibilities were shattered as the legislature concluded without any action.
Marylands gambling expansion failure is the second significant setback of 2024.
This failure, as the gambling industry views it, is the second major setback of this legislative session. Ten days ago, the Georgia legislature ended its term without legalizing digital sports betting. This means that the two states that were considered the most likely to expand gambling failed to achieve their objectives.
In Georgia, lawmakers were still entangled in how to utilize the revenue, not whether to support the legislation. Negotiations continued almost to the final moment of the session.
In Maryland, if lawmakers had considered online gambling on the last day, it would have been to place a referendum on the ballot for voters to decide whether they desired it, but without a structure.
Marylands elected officials made sports wagering legal in a similar manner, returning after citizens endorsed it in November 2020 to finalize specifics and draft rules.
However, internet-based casinos will not be made legal in Maryland this year, which may not be a negative development. Obviously, the state’s leaders still have much to deliberate and investigate regarding this matter.
Nationwide, few gambling expansion prospects survive in state legislative bodies. Some of them are nearly impossible to get passed.
Last week, the Minnesota Racing Commission approved regulations permitting historical horse racing, complicating the state’s aspirations.
Many view this as a violation of the state’s commitment to tribal gambling exclusivity, a decision that has prompted several new gambling proposals in the legislature explicitly forbidding HHR.
The debate surrounding HHR has taken precedence over gambling expansion discussions, and the time lawmakers have spent prohibiting HHR and grappling with the Gaming Commission has been time taken away from negotiating an agreement that could authorize statewide online sports betting.
House sports betting sponsor and chair of the Commerce Policy and Finance Committee, Zack Stephenson, reacted to the Racing Commission by presenting a bill explicitly forbidding HHR.
The initial gathering was planned for Monday, the eighth of April, in the Commerce Committee. However, after introductions were made, the committee disbanded for a comprehensive session. Stephenson’s suggestion, alongside a legislative proposal from the Senate, will be reviewed by the committee on the ninth of April.
The Minnesota DFL is representing special interest groups and attempting to eliminate a $400 million Minnesota industry. Why? #RevengeBill
During the horse racing commission’s decision-making session last week, Stephenson stated, “This is completely unfeasible. It won’t occur. It won’t be included in the sports betting agreement. This is a non-negotiable boundary.”
Track representatives described Stephenson’s suggestion as “vengeful.” Aaron Dedessem, Vice President of Marketing and Operations at Running Aces, told KAAL TV, “This is an absurd bill that, if implemented, will financially ruin us.”
The gambling expansion bill is still circulating in these states. Here are some other states where some form of gambling expansion hasn’t quite concluded, but hasn’t truly commenced either:
Alabama
In this state that doesn’t even have a lottery, a comprehensive bill that includes a lottery, up to 10 retail casinos, and both physical and digital sports betting is now in the hands of a joint committee.
Legislators are confronted with a range of responsibilities, including closing the tax gap, addressing the Poarch Creek Indian Tribe’s gambling exclusivity, and other critical matters. The legislative body is set to conclude its session on May 20th.
**Maine**
With less than a week remaining before the legislative session ends, two proposals that would grant the state’s four indigenous groups authority over online casinos, while excluding the two existing land-based casinos – Churchill Downs and Penn Entertainment – emerged from committee in a “divided report.” The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on April 17th.
**Mississippi**
Last week, the Senate Gaming Committee convened a brief meeting in Jackson and approved a complete rejection of the sports betting bill, aiming to continue discussions. Later that week, two related proposals were rejected in committee. The legislative session is scheduled to conclude on May 5th.
**Missouri**
At least one of the numerous sports betting proposals has advanced to the House’s “informal perfection calendar,” indicating it could be debated on the floor. However, Missouri still lacks a unified agreement, with one senator persistently advocating for linking legalized gambling to authorized video lottery terminals, an approach that has previously failed.
The state’s professional sports teams are employing an indirect strategy, collecting signatures for a sports betting initiative that would be put to a vote in November.
This represents the most practical opportunity for gambling expansion currently in progress.
The legislators will conclude their duties on May 17th. Before the start of May, professional groups must gather more than 171,000 signatures to be included on the election ballot.
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