Why Maryland sportsbooks only make up a small part of sports betting

Maryland has 13 sportsbooks in casinos and sports bars and 12 licensed sports betting apps, but the vast majority of monthly wagers come from apps.

In May, sports betting retail stores recorded $12 million in bets. Mobile apps recorded more than $419 million, or more than 95% of all bets. Retail stores brought in $875,000 in tax revenue to the state in May, while mobile apps brought in $45.7 million.

One reason sports betting parlours have lagged so far behind mobile betting in Maryland is that Maryland is not Las Vegas, and it is not a special state where sports betting is legal in 38 states and the District.

“I think a lot of people thought these retail sportsbooks would draw tourists, and that hasn’t happened,” BetMaryland’s Steve Bittenbender said.

Sportsbooks have some appeal that apps don’t, mainly the experience — big screens showing multiple live sporting events simultaneously, bars, food and a social atmosphere gamblers can’t get from their phones — but Bittenbender said sports fans can get the same experience without having to go anywhere.

“People have realized they can watch several games at once in their basement or their den and bet on multiple sportsbooks from their phone, so that takes some of the appeal out of the sportsbook experience,” he said.

Sportsbooks are by no means irrelevant. They’re marketing tools for casinos and bars, and they have guardrails that sports betting apps don’t always have.

“Some people do it for responsible gambling. I have a friend who said he doesn’t have the app on his phone because he finds it too tempting. For him, it’s better to bet at a kiosk,” Bittenbender said.

Most of the tax revenue Maryland casinos pay to the state goes to the Maryland Blueprint for the Future Fund for public education programs. But expired winnings or winnings not claimed by bettors go to the state’s gambling addiction fund. Since December 2021, when sports betting began in Maryland, $3.1 million has been sent to the gambling addiction fund.