On Thursday the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) determined that Greenmount Station in Hampstead, MD, has met qualification requirements for a sports wagering license.
Greenmount Station is one of the 17-land based facilities that the state had pre-designated as eligible to apply for a Maryland sports betting license.
Next, Greenmount Station’s application will head to the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) for license approval.
Greenmount Station goes through the paces
Greenmount Station is an off-track betting site (OTB) and restaurant located in Carroll County, MD.
Nestled in the heart of Main Street in Hampstead, this is a go-to destination for patrons to bet on horse races simulcast from across the country while enjoying some Maryland crabcakes.
Soon, they could also be placing sports bets at the facility.
Greenmount Station opened in January 2018 under the ownership of Chris Richards and David Richardson.
Prior to Thursday’s vote to approve the venue for a sports betting license, Greenmount Station underwent a detailed process with the MLGCC.
The MLGCC had to conduct a complete background investigation into the business. It included scrutinizing the business operations and transactions along with conducting interviews with personnel. Maryland Lottery officials also had to determine the financial integrity and stability of Greenmount Station.
Next step? SWARC approval
Greenmount Station will need to get license approval from the SWARC before receiving a sports wagering operating license.
And as we’ve seen recently, this has become quite an efficient process.
Just this past week, the SWARC voted to approve Riverboat on the Potomac and Long Shot’s for licenses. That vote came just a week after the two OTBs qualified for a license.
Prior to those approvals, though, the SWARC’s approval process wasn’t as quick. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, Live! Casino & Hotel, Ocean Downs, MGM National Harbor and Hollywood Casino Perryville all had to wait nearly a month before the SWARC signed off on their applications.
Despite those past delays, these latest speedy approvals are a promising sign for future applicants.
Maryland OTBs await licenses
As we mentioned previously, two off-track betting sites in MD are closer to launching their sports-betting operations.
Riverboat on the Potomac is an OTB, restaurant and lottery retailer located in Colonial, VA, on the VA-MD border. The venue recently inked a 10-year deal with PointsBet Sportsbook.
Long Shot’s in Frederick, MD, is also an OTB site. It’s also 100% female-owned. However, unlike the Riverboat on the Potomac, Long Shot’s hasn’t announced its sportsbook partner.
Before the state issues a license to these sites, they’ll need to complete a final step with MD Lottery & Gaming: controlled demonstrations under the observation of lotto officials.
During the controlled “soft launch,” guests will participate in live wagering while MD Lottery officials conduct on-site monitoring to ensure that all systems, operational and revenue reporting controls perform as required. Each venue would need to undergo two successful days of testing before opening to the public.
So far, only three Maryland casinos have successfully completed these demos. As a result, MGM National Harbor, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, and Live! Casino & Hotel all launched their sports betting operations last week.
In the meantime, controlled demos for Ocean Downs Casino are scheduled for this week. Hollywood Casino Perryville’s are scheduled for next week. Pending successful demos, Ocean Downs will launch its sportsbook on Friday, Dec. 17. And Hollywood Casino Perryville will launch on Thursday, Dec. 23.
