Maryland officials on Wednesday approved the first 10 companies to offer mobile sports gambling, setting the stage for gamblers to soon use their phones to place bets on games and players.

The companies will need to submit some further paperwork to the state and pass final control tests overseen by state regulators before they can officially launch their mobile app. Most of them are affiliated with established sports gambling companies, and the tests are not expected to take long.

The following companies were approved for licenses by Maryland’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission on Wednesday:

The process for awarding licenses and launching the mobile sports betting industry has been deliberate, and frustrating for some. Marylanders voted during the 2020 elections to approve sports betting, both in-person betting and mobile betting.

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In-person sports betting launched in December 2021 and with Wednesday’s actions, mobile betting is on track to launch later this month or next month.

Thomas Brandt, the chairman of the commission that awarded the licenses, said the commission was required to follow “challenging” language in state law and to ensure diverse participation in the expanded gambling industry.

The commission also needed to review an industry analysis before members could issue regulations and open the application process, he said.

“It’s taken us awhile to get to this point,” Brandt said as he opened Wednesday’s meeting.

Put another way, he said, commission members wanted to “measure twice and cut once.”

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More licenses for mobile sports betting could be awarded at the commission’s next meeting in December. State law allows for up to 60 mobile licenses, and 21 companies applied this fall. The first 10 that regulators determined were qualified were up for license approval on Wednesday.

Maryland currently has eight facilities that offer in-person sports betting, including five casinos, Bingo World, Riverboat on the Potomac and Greenmount Off-Track Betting.

In October, gamblers spent $39.66 million on sports bets in Maryland, with the sportsbooks paying out $34.35 million in winnings.

The state’s share — 15% of the taxable win — was $781,642 for the month of October. Most of the money goes into the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which funds enhanced programs for public schools, and a portion also goes to the state’s Problem Gambling Fund.

Since the launch of sports gambling in December 2021, the education fund has received $5.42 million and the gambling fund has received $885,195.

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This article has been updated to correct the date that the licenses were approved.

pamela.wood@thebaltimorebanner.com

Pamela Wood

pamela.wood@thebaltimorebanner.com

Pamela Wood

Pamela Wood covers Maryland politics and government. She previously reported for The Baltimore Sun, The Capital and other Maryland newspapers. A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, she lives in northern Anne Arundel County.

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