Sports Betting and Online Casino Legislation Update: March 1
Sports Betting and Online Casino Legislation Update: March 1
The Closing Line will aggregate efforts to legalize sports betting and online casino (and beyond) in this space every Friday, as long as the legislative season is still active.
North Carolina
North Carolina’s legal sports betting market is poised to launch on March 11. The state has given the green light to eight online sports betting apps, which can register bettors before the launch. More here.
Maryland
The one state that seems to have a real chance to legalize online casino this year is Maryland. Lengthy committee hearings on the topic took place this week. You can track online casino legalization efforts here.
Georgia
The Georgia Senate approved a bill that would put a measure to allow sports betting on the November ballot. But that bill faces an uncertain fate in the House. Time is short, with the legislative session ending March 28.
Meanwhile, a daily fantasy sports bill died in the House, with hopes it could reanimate itself by attaching to the sports betting effort. Georgia is the home to the largest fantasy vs. the house operator, PrizePicks. The industry has been under assault from regulators across the country, and a legislative win somewhere seems like a necessary step to stem the tide.
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Missouri
The best path toward legalization appears to be a potential ballot measure, with proponents saying they are ahead of schedule in getting the required signatures. Legalization through the legislature seems like it faces long odds again.
Alabama
Sports betting remains a part of a comprehensive gambling package in the state, with sources putting chances of passage at 50% or better. Opposition cropped up in a Senate committee hearing this week. It’s possible sports betting is cut from the package to gain enough support for passage.
Odds and ends
A Maine bill to legalize online casino got a positive vote this week.
A bill that would have ended a ban on betting on in-state college teams in Virginia failed to pass.
The West Virginia House passed a bill that would aim to protect athletes from harassment by sports bettings.
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