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Overview: Online Sports Betting In Maryland
January 30, 2021
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While the rest of us were watching the electoral college map, Maryland gambling proponents were watching Question 2. It was Maryland’s second state ballot measure, and it would legalize sports betting. It passed with 67.1% of the vote, indicating a strong desire from Marylanders to legalize sports betting. Some representatives voiced the usual concerns about the morality of gambling. But the measure had support from both parties and the teacher’s union. Sports betting profits will go to K-12 public education. But Maryland has to figure out all the implementation problems, leaving key industry details unknown, including whether the state will offer online sports betting.
The 2020 vote shows increased acceptance of gambling – especially when the money is presumed to fund public education. But 2012 stands out as an outlier. It barely passed compared to the other two. Are Marylanders averse to table games, but okay with slot machines, casinos, and sportsbooks?
How Maryland Legalized Gambling
Maryland’s long-standing ban on casinos only ended recently. In 2008, Marylanders voted to allow slot machines and casinos for the first time since the 1960s. Voters approved the expansion of table games in 2012, too. 2020’s vote in favor of sports betting may give the impression that Maryland voters love gambling. But gambling votes haven’t always been 70/30 blowouts. Here’s how close the main gambling measures were over the last 13 years:| Year | For | Against | Difference |
| 2008 – Casinos | 58.7% | 41.3% | 17.4% |
| 2012 – Table Games | 52.0% | 48.0% | 4% |
| 2020 – Sports Betting | 67.1% | 32.9% | 34.2% |
