MGM National Harbor Opens First Sportsbook In The State, Hogan Bets On All-Maryland Super Bowl

OXON HILL, Md. (WJZ) — MGM National Harbor Casino has officially been issued the state’s archetypal sports wagering licence and opened the betting nationalist connected Thursday.

Gov. Larry Hogan, Washington shot fable Joe Theismann, Prince George’s County Council seat Calvin Hawkins and representatives from BetMGM chopped the ribbon connected the caller space.

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Hogan placed the archetypal stake and wagered the Washington Football Team — helium mistakenly referred to them by their aged name, seen by galore arsenic a racist slur against Native Americans — and Baltimore Ravens would conscionable successful Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI.

The stake would wage much than $20,000 if it hits, the politician said.

In little of a longshot, Theismann picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to support their rubric against the New England Patriots, a crippled that would pit Bucs backmost Tom Brady against his erstwhile caput coach, Bill Belichick.

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“My heart’s with Washington, but my bet’s here,” helium said.

Hawkins stake the Washington Football Team would bushed the Dallas Cowboys connected Sunday (the wealth enactment is +175, according to USA Today).

Before opening, MGM National Harbor completed 2 days of controlled demonstrations nether the supervision of Maryland Lottery and Gaming staff. Horseshoe Casino successful Baltimore and Live! Casino & Hotel successful Hanover are expected to unfastened sportsbooks connected Friday aft finishing their ain controlled demonstrations.

“It’s hard to overstate however breathtaking this infinitesimal is; we couldn’t beryllium happier to spot sports wagering get started,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “It’s a caller signifier of amusement that we cognize Marylanders volition enjoy, but much importantly, it’s delivering a caller watercourse of gross for nationalist acquisition successful the state. We’re particularly arrogant of that.”

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Sportsbooks successful the authorities volition lend 15% of their gross toward acquisition funding. The General Assembly’s Department of Legislative Services estimates casinos volition supply betwixt $15 cardinal to $25 cardinal per twelvemonth for schools, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission.

Brandon Weigel