When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >

Maryland Approves Diversity Plan Requirement for Mobile Sports Betting Licensees

Written by: Mike Lukas
Updated October 14, 2022
10 min read
  • Maryland’s Sports Wagering Commission Approves Diversity Plan Amendment
  • Amendment in Place to Ensure Broader Range of Operators in MD’s Mobile Market
  • SWARC to Begin Taking Mobile Sports Betting Applications for End of Year Launch
Maryland Diversity Plan Amendment

Maryland’s Sports Wagering Commission Approves Diversity Plan Amendment

In a move that will no doubt further frustrate Maryland sports gamblers, the state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) has just unanimously approved an amendment to their application policy that requires mobile licensees to submit a diversity plan.

That means that in addition to all the other financial and background data that mobile sportsbooks must submit to qualify for an operating license in Maryland, applicants must also now include a list of diversity objectives as well as state that they will attempt to meet them.

According to the amendment they just passed, SWARC says it will now also take into consideration an applicant’s struggle to overcome disadvantages that have adversely affected them, saying this:

We will consider any type of diverse group where an applicant can demonstrate that an individual has been disadvantaged and, therefore, the inclusion of the individual as a participant in the Diversity Plan would be beneficial.

The plan breaks down into some specific requests.

Amendment in Place to Ensure Broader Range of Operators in MD’s Mobile Market

While the rest of the US legal sports betting market typically enjoys a mobile option, bettors in Maryland are still waiting for their lawmakers to make that happen in their state, and this diversity plan request will not speed that process up at all, and gambler patience is running out.

Despite that pressure, though, SWARC is trying to get this right so kudos at least for that.

Their goal here is to make a legitimate attempt to include a broader range of operators in the state’s mobile sports betting market, so now applicants for a mobile license must also include:

  •   strategies to attract and obtain a diverse group of owners and contractors
  •   a commitment to conduct “diversity-related events and proposed timelines”
  •   create obtainable benchmarks to achieve specific diversity objectives

These are all excellent ways to include a more diverse group of businesspeople to that state’s mobile sports betting market, no doubt an effort to do things differently than Maryland did in the past with regards to the medical marijuana industry that showed little diversity from the start.

The hope is to have that mobile sports betting market in place by the end of the year.

SWARC to Begin Taking Mobile Sports Betting Applications for End of Year Launch

Maryland lawmakers made retail sports betting legal in 2021 and ever since bettors there have been waiting for the mobile option to follow, an easier way to place bets and collect wins that has proven to be a more lucrative cash cow than the in-person alternative.

The other thirty-plus states and DC with legal sports betting markets have already discovered that it takes a lot of time to get that type of market set up since the regulatory process involves much red tape and cooperation so delays in most cases become inevitable.

The Diversity Plan has been a part of this process from the start as lawmakers stressed the importance of getting this part right during the initial debates, and now with this new policy amendment in place, applicants will be forced to think outside the box and include everyone.

SWARC’s goal is reportedly to launch by the end of 2022, so be sure to keep checking back for all the latest news and updates on this ongoing story.

Follow other states for updates on betting legislation

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Oregon?

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Oregon?

24 October, 2022 | Richard Janvrin
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in New Mexico?

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in New Mexico?

19 December, 2022 | Richard Janvrin
Image for Mike Lukas

AUTHOR

Mike Lukas

1204 Articles

Mike Lukas is a retired standup comedian turned freelance writer now living in Dallas, Texas, originally from Cleveland, Ohio. His love for the game of football and all things Cleveland Browns turned Mike into a pro blogger years ago. Now Mike enjoys writing about all thirty-two NFL teams, hoping to help football gamblers gain a slight edge in their pursuit of the perfect wager. Email: [email protected]

More info on Mike Lukas
We've been featured on:
espn logo
reuters logo
cbs-news logo
forbes logo
entrepreneur logo
entrepreneur logo
We only list licensed sportsbooks
WorldSportsNetwork
WorldSportsNetwork
WorldSportsNetwork
WorldSportsNetwork

© Rebel Penguin ApS 2024 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)

We support responsible gambling. 21+ Only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID 89744, with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number 117656-1, possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, an interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director of Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a Vendor Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.

Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various sportsbooks.