The commission charged with crafting regulations for Maryland’s emerging sports betting industry is dropping race- and gender-based criteria — for now — as it seeks to move the process forward.
The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission, or SWARC, voted Wednesday to approve a set of draft regulations and application forms for prospective mobile and Class B facility sportsbook operators. The drafts will head next to the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review for emergency approval.
Both steps were taken in an effort to speed up what has been a complicated bureaucratic process of shaping a new industry. When Maryland lawmakers voted last year to allow sports wagering in the state — following a 2020 voter referendum — a key consideration was how to ensure equity in the process of choosing operators and awarding licenses. State law requires the SWARC to study the sports betting market and determine whether there is a legal basis for race- and gender-conscious measures in the application and evaluation process before awarding licenses.
