- Arizona passed HB 2772 to bring statewide online sports betting to residents.
- Maryland passed HB 940 for statewide online sports betting.
- Both bills are now awaiting governor approval.
PHOENIX – Online and mobile sports betting is now one step away from being regulated in both Arizona and Maryland after sports betting bills passed in both respective legislatures.
The next step is for Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to sign the bills into effect. Expectations from lawmakers in both states are that the bills will be signed.
These expansions will bring forth statewide regulated USA online sportsbooks in both these states.
Arizona Sports Betting Bill
Starting with the Arizona sports betting bill, HB 2772 passed with a 23-6-1-0 vote in the Arizona House of Representatives.
The bill is a bipartisan bill sponsored primarily by Republican Rep. Jeff Weninger. The bill was initially SB 1797 but was replaced by HB 2772 after debates and alterations were made during the House review of the bill.
Well it feels great to say that the bill that I and @TJShopeforAZ worked so hard on is heading to Governor @dougducey .Thank you to everyone involved. Sports betting is coming to Arizona in a few months. pic.twitter.com/rzV6qA2Rv6
— Jeff Weninger (@JeffWeninger) April 13, 2021
Since the bill itself was drafted with the aid of Gov. Ducey, it is expected that he will sign the legislation, officially bringing state-wide mobile sports betting to Arizona residents. Daily fantasy sports (DFS) will also launch as part of the sports betting bill.
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There was slight opposition during the debates surrounding the bill, however. Senator Sally Ann Gonzales was extremely vocally against the bill, accusing Gov. Ducey of strong-arming the local tribes into approving.
In the end, however, the bill managed to garner the two-thirds majority needed to move to the Governor’s desk.
Maryland Sports Betting Bill
The Maryland sports betting bill managed to pass with less dramatics.
HB 940 passed with a 129-10 vote, easily gaining the two-thirds majority needed.
This bill will allow for three professional sports venues to offer sports betting, expand sports betting at existing operations, and allow for more Class A licenses to existing venues in Maryland. In total, an additional 60 mobile sports betting operations will be allowed to operate within Maryland.
The bill now awaits a signature from Gov. Larry Hogan who is likely to pass the bill into law. Hogan has been publicly in support of the expanded sports betting market in Maryland.
There will be several new USA online sportsbooks launching in these states should these bills be signed into law by the respective governors.
There is currently no official date set for when these bills are expected to be signed.
After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in creative writing, Giovanni spent his professional career writing short stories for online journals. Now at USAOnlineSportsbooks, you can find him keeping fans up to date on their favorite teams best betting odds. Giovanni still tries to incorporate his passion for storytelling through the perspective of sports betting.
