BREAKING: Clean sweep for sports betting in Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana
Sports betting appears to have achieved a clean sweep overnight as voters in Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana gave their approval to new measures to enable regulation.
The voters of Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana all gave their approval to measures on yesterday’s ballot that would permit the legislatures in each state to authorize sports betting regulation.
Each vote was won by a hefty margin.
The votes in favor will have a dramatic impact on the gaming-friendliness of each state as measured by the Wedge Index.
Just by adding sports betting, each state will receive at least an extra 15 points depending on what form the legislation takes.
Yes wins the day
In Maryland the percentage in favor of opening the state up to regulated sports betting was 66%.
The vote was in line with poll predictions. Approval in Maryland was heavily tipped after Governor Larry Hogan said he supported the move and the potential tax dollars that would go to the state’s education fund.
In South Dakota, with the vast majority of the precincts counted, voters approved it by a margin of 59% to 41%.
In Louisiana, voters in a large majority of the state’s parishes have voted for sports betting with only a handful against.
Richard Carbo, a consultant with the group behind the vote Louisiana Wins, told local media yesterday that though there was still a lot of votes to be counted, “voters are sending a resounding message on sports wagering”.
More than just sports
A number of expanded gaming measures are also expected to pass. In Colorado, the removal of the $100 limit for single table game bets has also passed.
In Nebraska, a measure that would allow games of chance to take place at the state’s racetracks also appears to have got the nod.
In Virginia, large majorities have been notched up on casinos being established at four locations in the state.
In all the states voting on sports betting, the action now moves to the state legislatures that will decide what form betting should take place in each jurisdiction.
It is unlikely punters in those states will be able to vote legally for at least another 12 months.
Wedge News will report in more detail on each of these votes in the coming days.
