Voters Say “Yes” To Sports Betting In Maryland And South Dakota

Voters in Maryland and South Dakota handed sports activities betting poll initiatives Tuesday.

Both states handed the measures by a large majority. In South Dakota, the “Yes” votes made up about 58 % of the voters, whereas Marylanders voted to permit sports activities betting by a 2-to-1 margin.

In South Dakota, the election outcomes meant that the state’s structure was amended to permit sports activities betting on the brick-and-mortar casinos in Deadwood. During the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers will draft a invoice, which can set tax charges and set up regulatory pointers for the brand new trade.

According to a report from The Action Network, the invoice will likely pass in the first half of 2021 and casinos can launch sportsbooks later that 12 months. The constitutional modification solely permits for sports activities betting in Deadwood, so it’s not possible that on-line betting will launch within the state any time quickly.

Maryland’s poll initiative was much like South Dakota’s, within the sense that it lacked a regulatory framework, however Maryland didn’t want to change the state structure.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic shorted the 2020 legislative session, Maryland lawmakers handed a sports activities betting invoice that merely allowed the voters to have the ultimate say. It unanimously handed the senate and by a 129-3 margin in the home however had no actual specifics as to how the market could be run.

Like South Dakota, these points will likely be sorted out within the 2021 legislative session. Assuming the state taxes sports activities betting income on the identical 20 % price it does desk video games at casinos, the state would reap $18.2 million in tax income, according to a Baltimore Sun report.

Those tax {dollars} will likely be used to assist fund the state’s public training system, which is why Republican Gov. Larry Hogan got here out in assist of legalizing sports activities betting simply a few weeks earlier than Election Day.