For immediate release
October 6, 2021
Contact:
Carole Bober Gentry
410-230-8725 (office)
410-365-6384 (cell)
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Lottery and Gaming Control Commission Forwards Three Sports Wagering Applicants to the SWARC
Horseshoe, Live!, MGM casinos approved; will now go to the Sports Wagering Application
Review Commission for award.
(Baltimore) — The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) today determined that Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore, Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover and MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill have met the qualification requirements for sports wagering licenses.
The three casinos are among the 17 entities that were designated in the sports wagering law to conduct sports wagering operations, pending a review of their qualifications to receive licenses. The applications from Horseshoe, Live! and MGM will now be forwarded to the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC), which is responsible for awarding the licenses. In August, the SWARC voted unanimously that the MLGCC’s qualification standards are sufficient for the SWARC to award licenses to the 17 designated entities.
“We're pleased to have these three applicants approved and move them along to the SWARC,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “Our team is diligently implementing the sports wagering law, and we're one step closer to the first in-person wagers, which we hope will take place by late fall.”
In affirming the qualifications of Horseshoe, Live! and MGM, the MLGCC delegated to Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) the authority to apply alternative licensing standards, as outlined in state law. The MLGCC may waive certain requirements for applicants that hold licenses from Maryland or other states where “the licensing standards are comprehensive and thorough and provide similar and adequate safeguards” to those required in Maryland (State Government Article § 9-1E-05).
MLGCA determined that Horseshoe, Live! and MGM are qualified because they each have gaming licenses in Maryland. Maryland’s licensing investigations on the three sports wagering operations are ongoing, and any licenses that are issued may be revoked.
After the SWARC, which next meets on October 14, 2021, formally awards licenses to Horseshoe, Live! and MGM, the MLGCA staff will ensure that the three licensees have finalized their systems of internal controls and satisfied other operational requirements before issuing licenses. MLGCA is working with the applicants to expedite these tasks.
About Maryland Lottery and Gaming
Maryland Lottery and Gaming operates the Maryland Lottery and is responsible for regulatory oversight of the state’s casinos and sports wagering program. To keep Marylanders informed and promote integrity and transparency, Maryland Lottery and Gaming posts monthly financial reports on casino revenue at mdgaming.com, along with annual fiscal year data. For more information on all Lottery products, promotions and news, visit mdlottery.com. Maryland Lottery and Gaming reminds players to play responsibly and within their budget; resources are available at mdgamblinghelp.org or by calling 1-800-426-2537.
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Carole Bober Gentry
Managing Director, Communications
Maryland Lottery and Gaming
1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 330
Baltimore, MD 21230
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(410) 230-8725
mdlottery.com | Facebook | Twitter
Maryland Lottery and Gaming contributed $1.391 billion to the State of Maryland in FY2021. Please play responsibly.