The casinos have been holding dry runs of the betting systems ahead of grand openings this weekend.

Watching football is going to be different for fans in Maryland this weekend. Three casinos in the state have announced they will begin taking sports bets for the first time as early as Thursday, December 9.

Last month, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) voted to approve sports betting licenses for five casinos, pending successful controlled demonstrations of their systems. Three of those casinos—Maryland Live!, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, and MGM National Harbor—have completed the process and will begin accepting bets by the end of this week.

More than seven months ago a bill was passed by the Maryland legislature to make sports wagering legal in this state. After delays in the licensing process, the MLGCC has finally cleared the way for legal sports wagering to get underway. In the beginning, bets will only be allowed in person, with mobile betting set to be introduced near the end of 2022. The Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and Maryland Live! Are planning on holding grand openings on Friday, December 11, and MGM National Harbor is planning to open its new sportsbook on December 10.

Each of the casinos has scheduled events with special guests to celebrate the first bets being placed. Maryland Live!’s sportsbook will open with a ribbon-cutting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday with former Baltimore Raven Ed Reed scheduled to make the first bet. Caesar's sportsbook at the Horseshoe Casino is scheduled to open at 1 p.m. on Friday with appearances by Governor Larry Hogan, Mayor Brandon Scott, and former Baltimore Ravens players Torrey Smith and Adalius Thomas. Finally, MGM National Harbor is hoping to be the first casino in Maryland to take bets on Thursday with an appearance by Washington Football Team legend Joe Theismann.

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