The state of Maryland apparently is playing "dueling sportsbetting bills", as two lawmakers have introduced measures to legalize the activity in the state.
Senator Chris West introduced Senate Bill 58, which would legalize the activity, but only issue licenses to horse racing and video lottery groups that already hold licenses. Meanwhile, Senator Craig Zucker introduced Senate Bill 4, which would have an open process where any group could apply for a license.
Maryland currently has six casinos that hold video lottery licenses, and there are five racetracks within the state. Needless to say, the former bill would be more restrictive, while the latter would allow outside groups to enter the market, including the possibility of big names like William Hill.
We don't have details on the amounts of tax that operators would be subject to, the cost of application fees, or the types of wagers that would be open to players.
We'll be keeping an eye on this story and letting players know more details as we learn them.