Poll: Nearly 1 in 4 Marylanders interested in sports betting

Nearly one in four people in Maryland surveyed in a recent Goucher College poll say they are likely to place a bet on sports in the next year.

Nationally, about one in five people said they bet on sports in some way between July 2021 and July 2022, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Marylanders voted in favor of a ballot referendum for sports betting in 2020, and bettors began online wagering two years later.

In Maryland, men — one in four — are more likely than women — one in five — to bet on sports, according to the Goucher College poll, which has a 3.5% margin of error and included responses from 800 Marylanders whom pollsters called between April 18 and April 23.

Interest levels declined with age. Among people ages 18 to 34, more than one in three said they were likely to place a bet on sports, compared to less than one in four people ages 35 to 55 and little more than one in 10 people older than 55.

One in four people without a college degree said they’re likely to bet on sports, compared to one in five college graduates.

Interest levels in sports betting were about the same between Democrats and Republicans, but moderates were more likely to bet on sports than progressives and conservatives. And, progressives were a bit more interested than conservatives, the poll showed.

Black respondents (32%) were more likely to bet on sports than whites (18%) and those of other racial identities (27%), according to the survey.

Sixteen businesses have qualified for a mobile sports betting license in Maryland, according to the Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, which oversees casinos and wagering in the state.

Delaware-based Queen Sportsbook Maryland, which qualified for a license last week, still needs to receive another approval.

The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission is scheduled to meet in May and may consider awarding Queen Sportsbook Maryland a mobile sportsbook license.

After Queen Sportsbook Maryland, the commission will have five mobile licenses left to grant.

In March, the state’s 10 active retail and eight active mobile sportsbooks generated more than $5.3 million in revenue for the state, up from $2.8 million in February and $2.1 million in January. It was the highest monthly revenue generated since Maryland’s sports wagering program began in December 2021, thanks in large part to the March Madness college basketball tournament.

The Lottery and Gaming Control Agency is scheduled to release April revenue numbers next week. The state has added a ninth active mobile sportsbook, though revenue are expected to dip after March Madness.