EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*sb0621*
SENATE BILL 621
C7 (3lr1930)
ENROLLED BILL
— Budget and Taxation/Ways and Means —
Introduced by Senators Zucker and Hettleman
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________ ________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Gaming – Sports Wagering – Independent Evaluation of Sports Wagering 2
Content and Sports Wagering Facility Application Amendments 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to 4
identify and accredit license certain independent evaluators to evaluate and rate 5
certain sports wagering content provided by certain sports wagering experts, sports 6
wagering influencers, and content partners; requiring the Commission to establish 7
standards of practice governing sports wagering content; requiring authorizing 8
certain sports wagering licensees and sports wagering operators to contract with 9
certain independent evaluators for certain purposes under certain circumstances; 10
authorizing the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission and the Sports 11
Wagering Application Review Commission to consider certain requests for certain 12
application amendments received on or before a certain date; and generally relating 13
to sports wagering and the evaluation of sports wagering content. 14
2 SENATE BILL 621
BY adding to 1
Article – State Government 2
Section 9–1E–17 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – State Government 8
9–1E–17. 9
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 10
INDICATED. 11
(2) “CONTENT PARTNER ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO OR A 12
PLATFORM THAT CREATE S SPORTS WAGERING CO NTENT FOR A SPORTS W AGERING 13
LICENSEE THROUGH CON TRACTED WORK , AFFILIATION, OR OTHER PARTNERSHIP . 14
(3) “SPORTS WAGERING CONTE NT” MEANS PREDICTIONS OF 15
SPORTING EVENT OUTCO MES, INCLUDING MONEYLINES , AGAINST THE SPREAD , 16
TOTALS, FUTURES, PARLAYS, AND OTHER OUTCOMES , WHETHER PROVIDED AT NO 17
COST OR THROUGH A SU BSCRIPTION OR OTHER PARTNERSHIP . 18
(4) “SPORTS WAGERING EXPER T” OR “SPORTS WAGERING 19
INFLUENCER ” MEANS A PERSON WHO C REATES SPORTS WAGERI NG CONTENT FOR A 20
SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE, A CONTENT PARTNER , OR THE PERSON ’S OWN 21
BENEFIT. 22
(B) (1) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2023, THE THE COMMISSION 23
SHALL IDENTIFY AND ACCREDI T LICENSE INDEPENDENT EVALUATO RS TO 24
EVALUATE AND RATE SP ORTS WAGERING CONTEN T PROVIDED BY SPORTS 25
WAGERING EXPERTS , SPORTS WAGERING INFL UENCERS, AND CONTENT PARTNERS . 26
(2) IN ORDER TO BE ACCREDITED LICENSED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) 27
OF THIS SUBSECTION , AN INDEPENDENT EVALU ATOR: 28
(I) SHALL HAVE DEMONSTRA TED EXPERIENCE AND E XPERTISE 29
IN EVALUATING AND RA TING SPORTS WAGERING CONTENT; 30
(II) SHALL HAVE AN AUDIT PROCESS CONSTRUCTED AND 31
MAINTAINED BY IN –HOUSE, LICENSED CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS ; 32
SENATE BILL 621 3
(III) SHALL HAVE EVALUATIO N AND RATING PROCEDU RES THAT 1
ARE UNABLE TO BE ADJ USTED, DUPLICATED, OR ALTERED BY THE PE RSONS 2
SUBJECT TO EVALUATIO N; 3
(IV) MAY NOT HAVE AN OFFI CIAL RELATIONSHIP WI TH A SPORTS 4
WAGERING LICEN SEE OR SPORTS WAGERI NG OPERATOR ; 5
(V) (IV) MAY NOT HAVE ANY DIR ECT OR INDIRECT FINA NCIAL 6
INTEREST, OWNERSHIP, OR MANAGEMENT , INCLUDING HOLDING AN Y STOCKS, 7
BONDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR FIN ANCIAL INTERESTS IN ANY SPORTS WAGERING 8
ACTIVITIES; 9
(VI) (V) MAY NOT RECEIVE OR SHARE IN, DIRECTLY OR 10
INDIRECTLY, THE RECEIPTS OR PROC EEDS OF ANY SPORTS W AGERING ACTIVITIES ; 11
AND 12
(VII) (VI) MAY NOT HAVE ANY REV ENUE–SHARING 13
RELATIONSHIP WITH OR OTHER FINANCIAL INTE REST IN A SPORTS WAG ERING 14
LICENSEE OR SPORTS W AGERING OPERATOR. 15
(3) AN EMPLOYEE OR A PRIN CIPAL OF AN INDEPEND ENT EVALUATOR , 16
OR THE INDEPENDENT E VALUATOR AS AN ENTIT Y, MAY NOT WAGER ON A S PORTING 17
EVENT. 18
(3) (4) (I) AN EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (II) OF 19
THIS PARAGRAPH , AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATO R MAY NOT BE COMPENSATED BY A 20
SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE OR SPORTS WAGER ING OPERATOR THAT UTILIZES 21
THE INDEPENDENT EVAL UATOR’S EVALUATIONS IN ITS MARKETING MATERIALS FOR 22
INDEPENDENT EVALUATI ON SERVICES THAT UTILIZES THE IN DEPENDENT 23
EVALUATOR’S EVALUATION SERVICE S SOLELY FOR MARKETI NG MATERIALS. 24
(II) AN INDEPENDENT EVALUA TOR MAY BE COMPENSAT ED BY A 25
SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE OR SPORTS WAGER ING OPERATOR FOR ITS 26
EVALUATION AND RATIN G OF SPORTS WAGERING CONTENT. 27
(4) (5) THE COMMISSION MAY ESTABL ISH ADDITIONAL 28
QUALIFICATIONS FOR T HE ACCREDITATION LICENSING OF INDEPENDENT 29
EVALUATORS IN ACCORD ANCE WITH THIS SUBSE CTION. 30
(C) THE COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 31
GOVERNING SPORTS WAG ERING CONTENT ADOPT REGULATI ONS TO IMPLEMENT 32
THIS SECTION. 33
4 SENATE BILL 621
(D) ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1, 2024, A A SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE OR 1
SPORTS WAGERING OPER ATOR THAT ADVERTISES IN THE STATE SHALL MAY 2
CONTRACT WITH AN IND EPENDENT EVALUATOR ACCREDITED LICENSED UNDER 3
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION TO EVALUATE AND RATE THE SPORTS WAGERING 4
LICENSEE’S SPORTS WAGERING CO NTENT, SPORTS WAGERING EXPE RTS, SPORTS 5
WAGERING INFLUENCERS , AND CONTENT PARTNERS . 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the State Lottery and Gaming 7
Control Commission and the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission may 8
consider a request to amend a Class B–2 sports wagering facility license application for the 9
purpose of altering the proposed location of the sports wagering facility if: 10
(1) a sports wagering facility license was awarded to the applicant on or 11
before February 15, 2023; and 12
(2) a written request to amend the application is received by the State 13
Lottery and Gaming Control Commission and the State Wagering Application Review 14
Commission on or before December 31, 2023. 15
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16
July 1, 2023. 17
Approved:
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Governor.
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President of the Senate.
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Speaker of the House of Delegates.