- SB621 is a new bill that proposes independent evaluations on content created by operators, affiliated partners, and sports wagering experts.
- Much of the bill and its language remains unclear, failing to specify the rewards and punishments for good or bad evaluations, as well as what exactly makes content earn a given rating aside from providing true figures on lines, spreads, etc.
- Bill sponsor Craig Zucker is working with the sportsbook evaluator SharpLink as a potential frontrunner.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland is introducing a bill that would aim to evaluate and accredit sportsbook operators, partners, and content creators. The specifics of the bill are still very muddy as it has not yet passed a committee, meaning the final official language of the bill may differ.
The top sponsor of the bill, Sen. Craig Zucker, stated that the purpose is to bring greater accuracy for everyday bettors who may be looking at content partners’ and wagering experts’ recommendations. There has been no word of possible punishments or what an overall grading system for online sportsbooks will look like.
Bill Still in Infancy, MGM Already Opposes
From the little information that is available regarding the beginnings of this bill, Sen. Zucker appears to already be contacting various potential agencies to be auditors in the event the bill passes.
Zucker is actively working with local sportsbook evaluating company SharpLink, and has alluded to other big Maryland accounting firms like KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) joining the fray following the bill’s passing.
A somewhat encouraging note is that an amendment that softens the blow of a bad evaluation is in the works by Sen. Zucker. Yet, no official details on what is changing have been released as of now.
MGM Resorts International has already responded to the bill by denying that them along with other operators are not offering what Zucker referred to as “guaranteed winnings”.
Evidently, sportsbook operators feel as though they are being unjustly targeted, which has the potential to become a bigger problem if Maryland continues introducing regulatory bills against them.
Cloudy Details May Be Cause For Concern
While it is likely that the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency has bettors’ best interests in mind, the very unclear wording of the bill at this time may threaten content creators and wagering experts for honest mistakes or things that are out of their control.
For example, Zucker stated that untruthfulness with lines or the spread is a primary offense that will be counted against the company that is found to be writing them. However, it remains to be seen if there is any leeway in this regard for things like sportsbook line changes, use of different sportsbooks, etc.
In essence, if a content creator writes a spread but then it shifts on some sportsbooks but not others, how would the independent auditing company handle that? If they would be punished, this would mean that online gambling sites would not only have to double and triple-check what numbers they post but also have editors ready to track and fix lines that move, something that may happen many times throughout any given day.
Similarly, the bill’s language defines sports wagering experts as people who write sports betting content for sportsbooks, affiliated partners or importantly, their own benefit.
The logistics of who is and is not a “sports wagering expert” has yet to be clarified upon. For example, are Twitter betting accounts that post their favorite plays considered to be under this umbrella? And if so, how would they be audited if they do not post content on other platforms? What if any player props or other similar lines they post are then bumped up or down on sportsbooks, would they be found lying and given a bad evaluation?
Questions like these are of paramount importance to content creators and may be responsible for drastic editorial decisions if not clarified.
Overall, SB 621 is an interesting premise that has the right idea, but lacks many of the detailed specifics that define how it would be carried out. Hopefully, after the bill is heard and passed through committee, the public and affected parties alike will have a much better idea of how to navigate these audits and bring about better transparency for Maryland’s betting industry.