Mixed bag in Maryland
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore unveiled his latest budget proposal Thursday (20 March) night, and it’s not terribly favourable for the gambling industry. The proposal does not include any funding from online casino and does include a sports betting tax hike.
Moore previously floated the idea of doubling the tax rate on wagering from 15% to 30%. In his new proposal, he pitches a 20% tax rate, which is projected to bring in an additional $32 million (£24.6 million/€29.6 million) in tax revenue in FY 2026. The state is facing a $3 billion deficit.
If lawmakers follow through, Maryland would become the third state in two years to raise its betting tax. Ohio was the first when Gov. Mike DeWine pushed through a bump from 10% to 20% in July 2023, six months after wagering went live. He proposed another doubling to 40% this year, but that idea did not gain traction. Last July, a new sliding scale for betting taxes in Illinois went into effect. The scale taxes the most prolific operators at 40%, up from 15%.
Maryland lawmakers have already considered multiple betting bills this session. So far, online casino bills, historical horse racing bills and a proposal to ban sweepstakes-style games have not gained serious momentum. The state legislature is set to adjourn 7 April.
New Arkansas bill proposes major gambling expansion
An Arkansas bill that would allow for digital casino and sports betting, and would also prohibit sweepstakes-style games, was filed 19 March. HB 1861 would require “interactive gaming” platforms to be tethered to existing brick-and-mortar casinos. The bill would also allow for “name, image and likeness drawing games and casino games”.
The bipartisan bill has 14 co-sponsors and was assigned to the house judiciary committee.
Arkansas voters legalised retail and digital sports betting in the November 2018 election. In-person wagering went live at casinos in July 2019 and the first online bets were taken in March 2022. The issue of whether to add online casino has become contentious. Saracen Casino supports the idea, but the Oaklawn Racing Casino does not, per the Arkansas Times.
“We’re in a highly regulated space that we recognise can cause harm, so we have an obligation to the citizens of Arkansas to best manage this risk, and the risk is best managed by making sure legitimate licensed actors are the only ones doing it,” Saracen chief marketing officer Carlton Saffa said.
He went on to say that legalising the marketing “will generate millions in revenue”. But Oaklawn general manager Wayne Smith said his company believes icasino is “bad public policy, plain and simple”.
The introduction deadlines for both the house and senate have passed, so the future of the bill is unclear. The Arkansas legislature is set to adjourn 16 April.
NY bill banning sweepstakes moves
A bill that would ban unregulated sweepstakes platforms in New York passed out of the senate racing, gaming and wagering committee on the same day that Connecticut lawmakers suspended a sweepstakes company’s licence. SB 5935 would ban the games and outlines penalties. The New York state legislature is one of a handful currently considering a ban on sweepstakes.
Senator Joseph Addabbo said during the hearing the actions taken by neighbouring Connecticut 14 March are reasons to move his NY bill. Connecticut’s department of consumer protection (DCP) suspended High5Games’ service provider’s licence and released a list of 1,065 criminal counts against the company. High5Games creates online slot games for legal Connecticut operators, but the department of consumer protection determined the company was marketing its own sweepstakes as legal.
The DCP “kicked out one of their operators”, Addabbo said during a committee meeting. “And that operator was actually targeting individuals who self-excluded. So individuals say, ‘This is too much for me. I don’t want to gamble.’ These groups were actually targeting those individuals.
“So we’re looking to ban these kind of illegal, unregulated gaming sites in New York state. I love this bill, especially during our problem gaming awareness month.”
University of Missouri mulls betting ban
As Missouri regulators work on crafting rules to launch legal digital sports betting in the fall, administrators at the University of Missouri are discussing the possibility of banning students, staff and faculty from placing bets on university teams, KOMU 8 reported late last week.
The idea isn’t new. In 2019, Saint Joseph’s University and Villanova, both in Pennsylvania, and Purdue instituted similar prohibitions. In all cases, those banned cannot bet on the school’s sports teams, whether they are playing at home or away.
“It’s consistent with some policies put in place by other universities,” Missouri faculty council chair Tom Warhover told the TV station. “It’s been a point of discussion in NCAA meetings, in the faculty athletics representatives meetings.”
Missouri voters legalised retail and digital sports betting on the November 2024 ballot. The Missouri Gaming Commission says it will launch wagering by the mandated 1 December deadline.
NCAA: Only a ‘loser’ harasses athletes
With March Madness underway, the NCAA is encouraging bettors to “draw the line” when it comes to sports betting. The public service campaign will run through the tournament. Bettors are encouraged to engage in the tournament, but “only a loser would harass college athletes after losing a bet,” it says.
New NCAA video on harassment players and officials receive from bettors. Will air during the men's and women's basketball tournaments. https://t.co/h2SCD9Sa1p
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) March 18, 2025
Lines on NWSL now available
Sportsbooks like BetMGM and FanDuel will now be able to offer betting markets for the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Abelson Sports is now providing odds on the league, Complete iGaming reported 19 March.
The NWSL is the highest-level professional women’s soccer league in the US and has teams in 14 cities. Abelson already provides markets on other women’s soccer events, including English Women’s Soccer League and UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Two Canadian provinces seek wagering operator
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) and the British Columbia Lottery Commission (BCLC) 17 March released a joint request for proposal (RFP) seeking a sports betting operator. The provinces are seeking a single operator to provide technology, trading and risk management services. Canada’s parliament in 2021 decriminalised single-event sports betting. Since then, only Ontario has gone live with legal digital sports betting and icasino. Alberta is expected to launch in early 2026.
According to the RFP, other provinces can join the group, and Loto Quebec is individually named. The goal is find a supplier to run digital sports betting under the lotteries’ PROLINE brand.
The ALC version of the request has a 24 April closing date while the BCLC version shows a 24 March closing date, which appears to be an error, as the week-long window would be unusually short.
College prop-bet ban proposed in US congress
A third federal sports betting proposal was filed 25 February. This one is narrower than either the SAFE Bet Act or the GRIT Act. HR 1552, known as the PROTECT Act, would impose a federal ban on prop bets on college athletes.
Congressman Michael Baumgartner announced his bill via social media in a series of posts that detail that student-athletes suffer from harassment and say sportsbooks should stop earning profits “off the backs” of student-athletes.
BREAKING
I introduced the PROTECT Student Athletes Act aimed to protect the well-being of student athletes and safeguard the integrity of college sports by banning “prop bets” on college athletics. Here’s what my bill will do and why it’s so important pic.twitter.com/T6CnABtQ8C
— Congressman Michael Baumgartner (@RepBaumgartner) February 26, 2025
Sports betting became a states’ rights issue in 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Since then, 39 US states have legalised sports betting, and it is live in 38 states. Baumgartner is a representative from Washington state, where in-person sports betting at tribal sportsbooks is legal.
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