You now need more than two hands to count all the online sports betting sites in the Old Line State.
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC) announced Thursday it issued a mobile sports wagering license to Crab Sports Inc. and its operator partner, iGaming Cloud Inc. The new bookmaker has begun taking bets following a test run with regulators.
“On July 10, Crab Sports successfully completed a controlled demonstration of its online sports wagering platform, available at crabsports.com,” the MLGCC said in a press release “Customers participated in live wagering as Maryland Lottery and Gaming staff ensured that Crab Sports complied with all required procedures and that its systems functioned properly.”
Crab Sports is a start-up company focused solely on Maryland sports betting. Its launch in the state’s legal sports betting market means there are now 11 online sportsbooks taking action in Maryland. They are:
- Barstool Sportsbook
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sportsbook
- Crab Sports
- DraftKings
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
- SuperBook
The launch of Crab Sports could be viewed as a win for Maryland lawmakers who wanted to ensure participation from small, minority, and women-owned businesses in the state’s wagering market, and structured their legal sports betting bill accordingly.
Crab Sports is privately-held and was only recently founded. Its launch could be followed by other, similarly sized firms, and its experience will likely be watched closely by peers. Under Maryland sports betting law, up to 60 mobile sports wagering licenses can be issued.
Meanwhile, Maryland’s 11 mobile operators are live alongside 10 retail sports wagering facilities that have opened in the state, including five at casinos and one at the home stadium of the Washington Commanders in Landover.
"Additional mobile operators and retail locations are expected to launch in the near future," the MLGCC said in its release on Thursday.
