WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 638
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Chapter 638
(Senate Bill 621)
AN ACT concerning
Gaming – Sports Wagering – Independent Evaluation of Sports Wagering
Content and Sports Wagering Facility Application Amendments
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to
identify and accredit license certain independent evaluators to evaluate and rate
certain sports wagering content provided by certain sports wagering experts, sports
wagering influencers, and content partners; requiring the Commission to establish
standards of practice governing sports wagering content; requiring authorizing
certain sports wagering licensees and sports wagering operators to contract with
certain independent evaluators for certain purposes under certain circumstances;
authorizing the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission and the Sports
Wagering Application Review Commission to consider certain requests for certain
application amendments received on or before a certain date; and generally relating
to sports wagering and the evaluation of sports wagering content.
BY adding to
Article – State Government
Section 9–1E–17
Annotated Code of Maryland
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article – State Government
9–1E–17.
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.
(2) “CONTENT PARTNER ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO OR A
PLATFORM THAT CREATE S SPORTS WAGERING CO NTENT FOR A SPORTS W AGERING
LICENSEE THROUGH CON TRACTED WORK, AFFILIATION, OR OTHER PARTNERSHIP .
(3) “SPORTS WAGERING CONTE NT” MEANS PREDICTIONS OF
SPORTING EVENT OUTCO MES, INCLUDING MONEYLINES , AGAINST THE SPREAD ,
TOTALS, FUTURES, PARLAYS, AND OTHER OUTCOMES , WHETHER PROVIDED AT NO
COST OR THROUGH A SU BSCRIPTION OR OTHER PARTN ERSHIP.
Ch. 638 2023 LAWS OF MARYLAND
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(4) “SPORTS WAGERING EXPER T” OR “SPORTS WAGERING
INFLUENCER ” MEANS A PERSON WHO C REATES SPORTS WAGERI NG CONTENT FOR A
SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE, A CONTENT PARTNER , OR THE PERSON ’S OWN
BENEFIT.
(B) (1) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2023, THE THE COMMISSION
SHALL IDENTIFY AND ACCREDI T LICENSE INDEPENDENT EVALUATO RS TO
EVALUATE AND RATE SP ORTS WAGERING CONTEN T PROVIDED BY SPORTS
WAGERING EXPERTS , SPORTS WAGERING INFL UENCERS, AND CONTENT PARTNERS .
(2) IN ORDER TO BE ACCREDITED LICENSED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)
OF THIS SUBSECTION , AN INDEPENDENT EVALU ATOR:
(I) SHALL HAVE DEMONSTRA TED EXPERIENCE AND E XPERTISE
IN EVALUATING AND RA TING SPORTS WAGERING CONTENT;
(II) SHALL HAVE AN AUDIT PROCESS CONSTRUCTED AND
MAINTAINED BY IN –HOUSE, LICENSED CERTIFIED P UBLIC ACCOUNTANTS ;
(III) SHALL HAVE EVALUATIO N AND RATING PROCEDU RES THAT
ARE UNABLE TO BE ADJ USTED, DUPLICATED, OR ALTERED BY THE PE RSONS
SUBJECT TO EVALUATIO N;
(IV) MAY NOT HAVE AN OFFI CIAL RELATIONSHIP WI TH A SPORTS
WAGERING LICENSEE OR SPORTS WAGERING OPER ATOR;
(V) (IV) MAY NOT HAVE ANY DIR ECT OR INDIRECT FINA NCIAL
INTEREST, OWNERSHIP, OR MANAGEMENT , INCLUDING HOLDING AN Y STOCKS,
BONDS, OR OTHER SIMILAR FINANCIAL INTERESTS IN ANY SPORTS WAGERI NG
ACTIVITIES;
(VI) (V) MAY NOT RECEIVE OR S HARE IN, DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY, THE RECEIPTS OR PROC EEDS OF ANY SPORTS W AGERING ACTIVITIES ;
AND
(VII) (VI) MAY NOT HAVE ANY REV ENUE–SHARING
RELATIONSHIP WITH OR OTHER FINANCIAL INTERE ST IN A SPORTS WAGER ING
LICENSEE OR SPORTS W AGERING OPERATOR .
(3) AN EMPLOYEE OR A PRIN CIPAL OF AN INDEPEND ENT EVALUATOR ,
OR THE INDEPENDENT E VALUATOR AS AN ENTIT Y, MAY NOT WAGER ON A S PORTING
EVENT.
WES MOORE, Governor Ch. 638
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(3) (4) (I) AN EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAG RAPH (II) OF
THIS PARAGRAPH , AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATO R MAY NOT BE COMPENSATED BY A
SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE OR SPORTS WAGER ING OPERATOR THAT UTILIZES
THE INDEPENDENT EVAL UATOR’S EVALUATIONS IN ITS MARKETING MATERIALS FOR
INDEPENDENT EVALUATION SERVICES THAT UTILIZES THE IN DEPENDENT
EVALUATOR’S EVALUATION SERVICE S SOLELY FOR MARKETI NG MATERIALS.
(II) AN INDEPENDENT EVALUA TOR MAY BE COMPENSAT ED BY A
SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE OR SPORTS WAGER ING OPERATOR FOR ITS
EVALUATION AND RATIN G OF SPORTS WAGERING C ONTENT.
(4) (5) THE COMMISSION MAY ESTABL ISH ADDITIONAL
QUALIFICATIONS FOR T HE ACCREDITATION LICENSING OF INDEPENDENT
EVALUATORS IN ACCORD ANCE WITH THIS SUBSE CTION.
(C) THE COMMISSION SHALL ESTABLISH STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
GOVERNING SPORTS WAGERING CONT ENT ADOPT REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT
THIS SECTION.
(D) ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1, 2024, A A SPORTS WAGERING LICE NSEE OR
SPORTS WAGERING OPER ATOR THAT ADVERTISES IN THE STATE SHALL MAY
CONTRACT WITH AN IND EPENDENT EVALUATOR ACCREDITED LICENSED UNDER
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION TO E VALUATE AND RATE THE SPORTS WAGERING
LICENSEE’S SPORTS WAGERING CO NTENT, SPORTS WAGERING EXPE RTS, SPORTS
WAGERING INFLUENCERS , AND CONTENT PARTNERS .
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the State Lo ttery and Gaming
Control Commission and the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission may
consider a request to amend a Class B–2 sports wagering facility license application for the
purpose of altering the proposed location of the sports wagering facility if:
(1) a sports wagering facility license was awarded to the applicant on or
before February 15, 2023; and
(2) a written request to amend the application is received by the State
Lottery and Gaming Control Commission and the State Wagering Application Review
Commission on or before December 31, 2023.
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 2023.
Approved by the Governor, May 16, 2023.