Md. House overwhelmingly approves sports betting measure

ANNAPOLIS — Maryland took a major step toward legalizing sports betting after a House committee adopted changes to a bill that could send the issue to voters in November.

The House of Delegates voted 125-2 late Tuesday night to approve the bill  hours after the House Ways and Means Committee stripped provisions out that would have given licenses to casinos and other gambling establishments but raised concerns about minority participation. Those concerns threatened to derail passage of the bill for a third year.

As amended by the House committee, Senate Bill 4 would legalize sports betting with the approval of Maryland voters in November. The bill also calls for a disparity study similar to one performed for the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission.

African-American lawmakers on the committee balked at the original proposal because of a lack of minority participation in the licensing. The Senate bill proposed a framework for how the new gaming would be implemented after voter approval, including making casinos, off-tack betting facilities, racetracks and the State Fair Grounds in Timonium eligible for licenses.

“Sites, license fees, all the details that were in the implementation bill would be part of the (future) implementation discussion before this committee,” said Del. Anne Kaiser, D-Montgomery and chair of the committee.

The Senate bill also set aside a license specifically for the Washington Redskins for a facility in Maryland.

The questions disrupted morning discussions on the bill in which the committee adjourned for a five-minute break and didn’t come back until after 5 p.m.

Del. Michele Guyton, D-Baltimore County, called on the committee to keep the Timonium venue in mind when those details are worked out.

“We worked really hard to get into the sports wagering world, so it’s hard for me to not asks these questions,” said Guyton, who worried the fairgrounds would not be on the same footing with larger venues such as casinos and larger racetracks. ”

Kaiser said lawmakers would come back either in the special session, expected to take place in May, or perhaps in January and hammer out implementation of sports betting, including which venues would be eligible.

“I trust that this committee will remember my poor state fair,” said Guyton.

Del. Eric Luedtke, D-Montgomery, told Guyton and other lawmakers that the first step to getting betting at any location would be to pass the amended version of the bill.

“The bottom line is without this there is no chance Timonium gets sports betting because this is what puts sports betting on the ballot referendum,” said Luedtke. “This is the first step towards it.”

The concerns about the lack of minority participation had the potential to derail efforts to get the question on the ballot. The House and Senate failed to pass legislation on the issue last year after failing to reconcile a disagreement in 2018 over where sports betting would occur.

The failure to pass the bill in 2018 put Maryland behind other states as the Supreme Court that year struck down a federal law that once banned sports betting. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia all moved quickly to legalize sports betting, putting Maryland two years behind its regional neighbors.

If the measure is passed and approved by voters, legislative analysts estimate that sports wagering and related licensing fees could generate roughly $18 million in fiscal 2025. The bill calls for the money to primarily be used to pay for the Kirwan education recommendations. That $4 billion plan was approved by the General Assembly Tuesday night.

The amendments approved by the House Ways and Means Committee require full approval by the House of Delegates and the concurrence of the Senate.

Sen. Guy Guzzone, D-Howard and chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, said he expects the Senate to agree to the changes.

The bill is expected to come up in the Senate as early as Wednesday morning.