Maryland’s SWARC to Consider Awarding Online Sports Betting Licenses on Nov. 21

• SWARC Chairman Thomas Brandt Says They Might Award Mobile Licenses in Nov.
• Online Sports Betting Applications are Due into SWARC by Friday, Oct. 21
• For Qualified Applicants, SWARC Has 45 Days to Approve, Likely Will Take Less Time

SWARC Chairman Thomas Brandt Says They Might Award Mobile Licenses in Nov.

Maryland sports bettors are getting ready to watch the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission’s (SWARC) expedited process in action where the first ten+ applicants for mobile sports betting licenses will get sped through an initial review in order to be ready for approval.

So far, ten applicants have submitted paperwork to operate a mobile sportsbook in Maryland and SWARC Chairman Thomas Brandt just discussed how these initial requests would be handled, the goal being to move forward quickly with efficiency but with total accuracy.

One confirmed applicant, Caesars Sportsbook, is also anxiously awaiting the SWARC’s next moves and in an early October press release the company’s Digital President Eric Hession expressed his group’s goals for a diverse operation, saying:

We’re very pleased to have structured our application in a way that not only reflects our corporate mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion but is consistent with the spirit of Maryland sports betting legislation, which seeks to create business ownership opportunities that otherwise might not exist.

There are still a few more applications expected, but time is running out.

Online Sports Betting Applications are Due into SWARC by Friday, Oct. 21

SWARC’s schedule for accepting mobile applications for sports betting has followed a schedule that they created after much debate regarding issues such as the diversity of the applicants, but there are just a few more steps that are about to take place:

•       Applications for online sports betting operators are due into SWARC by Friday, Oct. 21.
•       The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) will hold a hearing on Thursday, Oct. 27, to decide which of the first applicants are eligible for a license.
•       SWARC meets on November 21 when the goal is for these initial applications to be ready for approval.

As for whether SWARC expects any more applications to drift in before the final deadline on Friday, according to Kimberly Copp, a lawyer with Taft Stettinius & Hollister, there are more operators on the way, saying:

We expect a few more to come in, based on discussions I’ve had with representatives in the industry.

The state’s review committee does not plan on using all the time it officially has to approve these applications.

For Qualified Applicants, SWARC Has 45 Days to Approve, Likely Will Take Less Time

As soon as the MLGCA decides which of the applicants are qualified to move forward in the process, the SWARC technically has 45 days to decide whether an operator is qualified for a mobile license, but according to Chairman Brandt, they do not plan to use all of those days.

That makes sense given the time between the app deadline and their November 21 meeting afterward is less than that allotted number of days, a flexible approach that is no doubt appreciated by all the Maryland sports bettors ready to place wagers from their couches.

It is that level of ease that makes mobile sports betting the more desirable option for placing bets in the over thirty other states where this activity has already been made legal in a growing multi-billion dollar industry that is helping to make sports even more exciting for fans.