If you love betting on sports, then you’re already familiar with sports. NHL teams have huge fan bases and sports betting has grown immensely with the Stanley Cup playoffs. College basketball also has its loyal fans, and March Madness draws casual fans and sports bettors alike. Signing up to play isn’t difficult, but you need to be aware of the regulations that apply to sports betting. In Maryland, sports betting licenses are available only to minority-owned businesses and regulated sportsbooks.
In an effort to regulate sports betting, the NBA, MLB, and PGA Tour have worked with the NCAA and other sports leagues to push for legalization. However, these sports leagues have consistently blocked state-level efforts to legalize sports betting. In the wake of the Murphy v. NCAA case, the NBA, NFL, and MLB have teamed up with other professional sports organizations to create the Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act of 2018.
In September 2018, the state of West Virginia opened retail sportsbooks. It had an option for mobile betting, but that option was quickly abandoned. Ultimately, DraftKings and FanDuel went live in the state in December 2018. In April 2021, Wyoming became the first state to legalize sports betting on mobile devices. It is expected that the state will eventually legalize mobile sports betting. Until then, the sports betting industry in the state is relatively quiet.
