FazzNoth Posted February 24, 2022 Posted February 24, 2022 BetRivers is lining up for a possible Maryland sports betting retail launch, with state gaming regulators Thursday qualifying the sportsbook for a potential operator license. If approved, the Rush Street Interactive (RSI) sportsbook would be the official sports betting operator at Bingo World in Baltimore, one of 17 facilities designated for licensure under Maryland’s 2021 sports betting law. “We’re pleased to partner with Bingo World to assist and support their retail sports wagering operations,” RSI representative Laura McAllister Cox told the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission before the vote to qualify the sportsbook for licensure. Licenses must be issued to both Bingo World and BetRivers before sports betting can launch through either brand. For Bingo World, a license must be awarded by the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC), and the company must pass a background check by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) before sports betting can launch there. SWARC approval could come next month, with MLGCC approval expected to follow. Licensing of BetRivers would come straight from the MLGCA, should the operator pass a required background investigation for applicants. Licensure of the operator will not require approval by SWARC. BetRivers Would Be Sixth Sportsbook Operator in Maryland BetRivers would be the sixth sportsbook licensed in Maryland since the state legalized retail and mobile sports betting in 2021. Sportsbooks that have already launched at the retail level in Maryland and their casino partners are BetMGM (MGM National Harbor, Dec. 9); FanDuel (Live! Casino and Hotel, Dec. 10); Caesars (Horseshoe Casino, Dec. 10); TwinSpires (Ocean Downs Casino, Dec. 17); and Penn National/Barstool (Hollywood Casino, Dec. 23). The five casinos collectively grossed $49 million in sports betting handle in their first two months in operation. All five are among potential “A” class licensees listed among the so-called “designated 17” sports betting facilities found in Maryland’s 2021 law. Bingo World would become the fourth gaming facility among the 17 to receive a “B” class license. The other three are off-track betting venues (Greenmount Station in Hampstead, Long Shot’s in Frederick, and Riverboat on the Potomac) now in the final stages of approval. All three are expected to launch soon. Besides the designated 17, up to 30 additional retail licenses and up to 60 mobile sportsbook licenses may be awarded between now and early 2023. There is no definite timetable set, however, for the awarding of retail or mobile sports betting licenses in Maryland. https://www.gamingtoday.com/news/betrivers-maryland-sports-betting-licence/
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