Maryland Senate clears sports betting bill in landslide vote
The Maryland Senate has passed a bill that would legalise sports betting in the US state, approving the measure by a landslide vote of 47-0.
The Maryland Senate has passed a bill that would legalise sports betting in the US state, approving the measure by a landslide vote of 47-0.
Senate Bill 4 will now progress to the House of Representatives, with a hearing in the Ways and Means Committee scheduled for March 19.
Introduced by Craig Zucker in January this year, SB 4 sets out measures for both land-based and online sports wagering in the state.
Operators seeking to offer sports betting services in Maryland would need to pay a licence fee of $2.5m (£1.9m/€2.2m), plus an annual $250,000 renewal fee. Online operators may also offer sports wagering on behalf of an existing sports wagering licensee, provided they pay a licence fee of at least $5,000.