The 2022 FIFA World Cup began on Sunday, Nov. 20 and Online sports betting went live in Maryland the following Wednesday.
Maryland bettors could either wager on the tournament at a retail sportsbook or an online sports betting app for the majority of the World Cup.
Odds of Maryland being able to bet on the World Cup
Maryland online sports betting launched on Nov. 23 with seven sportsbooks going live on day one. Bettors have been capitalizing on this year’s World Cup betting options ever since.
The first day of World Cup competition saw host nation Qatar (#50 in the FIFA World Rankings) take on Ecuador (#44) in Group A action. Bettors had to rely on in-person betting to wager on that match as well as the Group B matchup for No. 15 USA against No. 18 Wales on Nov. 21.
Most days of the World Cup group stage — which runs through Dec. 2 — features three or four matches. Other highlights of the group stage included Team USA taking on No. 5 England (Nov. 25) and No. 21 Iran (Nov. 29).
We’ll keep you updated on all the latest 2022 FIFA World Cup odds as the tournament progresses.
World Cup action continues into mid-December
As for the World Cup action from there, the top two teams in each group advanced to the Round of 16. That round saw two matches per day from Dec. 3-6. Then Dec. 9 and 10 each saw two quarterfinal matches. The semifinals followed on Dec. 13 and 14, with the third-place match on Dec. 17, and the finals on Dec. 18.
Check out this complete 2022 FIFA World Cup schedule.
Fall football season creates even more appeal for Maryland bettors
The week of Nov. 21 featured a flurry of other appealing sports matchups for fans. Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, offers three NFL games to wager on:
- Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit Lions
- New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
- New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings
College football fans had the Ole Miss-Mississippi State Egg Bowl to look forward to on Thursday. And in addition to the aforementioned USA-England soccer match on Black Friday (Nov. 25), the day also offered a full slate of college football. That night also had a notable lineup of NBA games.
Which books went live first in Maryland?
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A few Maryland sportsbooks were prepared to go live as soon as they received the green light. Moreover, many of these books — such as DraftKings Maryland, BetMGM Sportsbook MD, FanDuel Maryland and PointsBet Sportsbook MD immediately started rolling out their free money promos.
In late October, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission reviewed applications from 10 initial online sportsbooks. The initial seven to launch were:
- DraftKings
- Caesars
- BetMGM
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
- BetRivers
- Barstool
Five other sportsbooks are approved and have not yet announced a launch date:
- Betfred
- Fanatics
- Parx
- WynnBet
- Bally Bet
An additional 11 sportsbook apps will also be considered going forward. If approved, those apps will then debut on a rolling basis.