Sports bettors cast more than $16 million in wagers in the first month since sportsbooks got their launch in Maryland.
The total betting handle — otherwise known as the amount players wagered — totaled $16.5 million in December, according to numbers released Monday by Maryland Lottery and Gaming.
Sports betting debuted Dec. 9 in the state, with the first bets placed at MGM National Harbor. Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino and Live Casino & Hotel in Hanover launched their sportsbooks the next day. Ocean Downs Casino and Hollywood Casino started taking sports wagers later in the month. The state’s sixth casino, Rocky Gap Casino in western Maryland, does not offer sports betting.
Though MGM had a day’s head start, Live Casino & Hotel reported the highest handle for an individual casino in December, taking $7.1 million worth of bets. MGM was next, with a nearly $6 million handle, while Horseshoe reported $2.6 million, Ocean Downs Casino’s handle was $554,000 and Hollywood Casino’s was $319,000.
