The Maryland Senate is launching its effort to lay down a set of rules and regulations for sports betting, and lawmakers say they plan to make sure equity is a key part of the discussion.
A sports betting work group convened by state Senate budget and taxation committee chair Sen. Guy Guzzone, D-Howard County, met for the first time last week to start crafting the Senate’s answer to a House of Delegates bill that offers a possible framework for the nascent sports gambling industry. Maryland voters authorized wagering on athletics by a 2-to-1 referendum vote last fall.
The workgroup’s inaugural meeting, held Feb. 18, lasted less than an hour and was mostly introductory. But Sen. Craig Zucker, the Montgomery County Democrat tasked with leading the discussions, made one promise from the outset: ensuring representation of minority business owners will be non-negotiable.
