Arizona, Maryland Legislatures Pass Sports Betting Bills

• The Maryland Legislature has passed HB 940 to allow both online and retail sports betting.
• Both SB 1797 and HB 2772 have passed through Arizona Legislatures to allow sports betting.

LAS VEGAS - Sports betting in the United States has just gotten one step closer to becoming nationwide as both Maryland and Arizona have both passed bills through their state’s legislatures.

The bills in both states would allow for both retail and online sports betting platforms to be available.

Maryland Sports Betting Bill

Looking at the bill that made it through the Maryland Legislature, HB 490 has been around for the better portion of 2021.

The bill would allow for there to be 40 total licenses to be available to operators which include 10 mobile and online licenses as well as 30 retail-only licenses.

As for the 10 online licenses, the online gambling sites that are expected to push for a license could include DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, BetRivers, and more.

Looking at the 30 retail licenses, these are meant for the likings of different sports bars and restaurants as well as sports stadiums in Maryland as well such as Oriole Park, FedEx Field, and M&T Bank Stadium.

More specifics on the bill include potentially a 15% tax rate for all operators. As for the licensing fees, there will be a $250,000 licensing fee as well as an annual fee of $100,000.

Arizona Sports Betting Bill

Arizona bettors have it good compared to Maryland as they have not one but two sports betting bills that have made it past the state legislature with a vote of 23-6 while one member failed to vote.

Both SB 1797 and HB 2772 are set to allow state-regulated sports betting, fantasy sports as well keno games in which all three will be run by the Arizona Lottery System.

One restriction that these bills will have though is although bettors will be able to bet on college sports, they will be restricted from making proposition bets on college sports.

When it comes to the tax rate and licensing fee, the state will issue an 8% tax rate on all revenue after subtracting payouts to bettors. As for licenses that are available, they will charge sportsbooks a $150,000 annual fee.

Online gambling in Arizona will be sports betting only and operated by brands that partner with either the state’s tribes or the state’s professional sports venues.