For immediate release

June 16, 2022

Contact:

Carole Bober Gentry

410-230-8725 (office)

410-365-6384 (cell)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

eLicensing Platform Open to All Prospective Sports Wagering Applicants June 17
 Class B, mobile businesses can access online system to prepare for background investigations

(Baltimore) — The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) today announced that it will open its eLicensing platform on June 17 to all businesses and individuals who wish to pursue Class B sports wagering facility licenses or mobile sports wagering licenses.

Upon request, prospective applicants will be provided with access to the online system they are required to use in order to initiate their background investigations. Visit the Sports Wagering Licensing page at mdgaming.com for additional information.

A criminal and financial background investigation by the MLGCC is one of two steps required for each applicant seeking a sports wagering license. Background investigations determine whether businesses and their principal owners have the good character, integrity and financial stability to be qualified for sports wagering licenses.

Separately, businesses will also need to complete the forthcoming application from the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC), which will conduct a competitive process to award Class B and mobile licenses.

“The MLGCC’s investigations and the SWARC’s application process may not have the same starting point, but it’s always been the plan for them to unfold on parallel tracks,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “Some investigations could take several months, so now is a great opportunity for all potential applicants to get the ball rolling.”

Prospective applicants will be able to use the eLicensing system to input information and compile an array of documents they must submit. All required material must be uploaded to eLicensing and submitted to Maryland Lottery and Gaming along with specific fees in order for an investigation to begin. Staff from Maryland Lottery and Gaming’s Licensing Division will be available to provide guidance on using the system.

“We know that everyone is eager to get started, and opening eLicensing is a proactive way for us to facilitate progress,” Martin said. “As we await the SWARC application, we’ll be able to spend time assisting small businesses that aren’t familiar with the level of investigation that exists in sports wagering. Our staff is ready to work with them and help them to understand what’s required.”

The eLicensing portal and Maryland Lottery and Gaming’s investigations are separate from the SWARC’s competitive application process. Maryland Lottery and Gaming determines if a business or individual meets the state’s qualification standards for a license. SWARC will rank the applications it receives for licenses and determine if awarding a license is in the public interest, as is required by law. SWARC may not award a license to any business or individual that has not been found qualified by Maryland Lottery and Gaming.

SWARC is authorized to award up to 30 Class B facility licenses and up to 60 mobile licenses. Regulations that will govern the SWARC application process and the application, itself, are being developed, but the timing of their release has not been determined.

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 and sports wagering 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-GAMBLER.

###

Maryland Lottery and Gaming contributed $1.391 billion to the State of Maryland in FY2021. Please play responsibly.