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How much sports betting in Maryland is free promotional wagering

By Jeff Clabaugh

Maryland’s 12 retail and 12 mobile sportsbooks had a combined handle of $263.7 million in wagers in August, and paid out prizes totaling $238.8 million.

The vast majority of sports wagering in Maryland is done through betting apps, with mobile sportsbooks accounting for $250.4 million in wagers last month, or 94.9% of all legal sports betting wagers in Maryland.

Handle is the term used to describe the total amount of money wagered at a sportsbook in a certain time period.

Mobile sportsbooks continue to lure new betters with promotional offers as $8.1 million of the total mobile sports wagering handle in August were free promotional wagers.

Sportsbooks are required to contribute 15% of their taxable win to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education programs in the state. The taxable win is what sportsbooks net after deducting prizes and promotional wagers.

Two new sports betting retail locations in Maryland were approved in August. Sports bar and restaurant Sports & Social in North Bethesda now has retail sports betting operated by Whitman Gaming and FanDuel. The Greene Turtle in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood was also approved for retail sports betting, operated by Park Interactive.

Since Maryland approved legalized sports betting in December 2021, Maryland Lottery and Gaming says they have contributed $34 million to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund and $2.5 million to the Problem Gambling Fund.

Monthly Maryland sports wagering handles, including promotional wagers, holds and prizes paid are posted online.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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