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HAMPSTEAD’S GREENMOUNT OTB RECEIVES INITIAL APPROVAL TO ACCEPT SPORTS BETSDECEMBER 16, 2021 - Greenmount OTB, a popular off-track betting facility located within Greenmount Station Restaurant in Hampstead, MD, has received initial regulatory approval from the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission on December 16, a major milestone in the quest to add sports wagering to the current facility early in 2022.
The facility’s application will now advance to the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) for consideration and must undergo a final round of technical reviews by state lottery officials before being permitted to accept wagers.
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| | Greenmount OTB is an alliance between two well-established local small business owners and neighbors Chris Richards, of Greenmount Station Restaurant and David Richardson, owner of Greenmount Bowl. Richardson is also Executive Director of the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and a two-term elected Councilman in nearby Manchester. Greenmount OTB opened in early 2018 in affiliation with Maryland Jockey Club and 1/ST Racing, the owners of Laurel Park and Pimlico. Wagering is currently accepted seven days-a-week at the off-track wagering outlet with full-card thoroughbred and standardbred simulcasting from tracks such as Saratoga, Gulfstream Park, Churchill Downs, Santa Anita, and Belmont Park as well as other premier tracks worldwide. | |
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| | | | “Chris Richards and I are thrilled to be able to advance to the next step in our efforts to offer sports wagering to our customers in Carroll County and beyond,” remarked David Richardson. “We hope this new venture will help revitalize our business community which has suffered greatly the past few years and allow us to keep serving our community.”
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| | Richardson said he and Richards are in advanced negotiations with first-class partners to operate the facility and are looking to make an announcement in that regard very soon. They are hoping to get the sportsbook operational in January or February — possibly a soft opening before the Super Bowl if all goes well.
“Our customers have clamored for years for Greenmount OTB to be able to accept sports bets in conjunction with wagers on horse racing,” said Chris Richards, who has operated the award-winning Greenmount Station restaurant since 1995. “We want to sincerely thank officials at the Lottery and SWARC for helping us make this idea become a reality as well as all the legislative partners who have advocated for us.”
Legal retail sports betting launched in Maryland at MGM National Harbor on December 9 and at Horseshoe Casino and Live! Casino the following day. MGM National Harbor is located in Oxon Hill, while Horseshoe Casino is in Baltimore, and Live! Casino is in Hanover.
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| | Greenmount Sportsbook is slated to be the third standalone OTB in Maryland that hopes to offer sports wagering to their customers in the coming months. The State also will offer dozens more licenses eventually for in-person and online betting. In-person betting is expected to be just a small portion of the overall sports gambling industry in Maryland.
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| | Richardson reports that Greenmount OTB plans to seek a mobile, app-based solution for their loyal customers in conjunction with a strategic partner in addition to their in-person offerings when permitted by the State. When Maryland’s sports gambling industry is fully operational, it’s expected to generate more than $100 million in revenue annually, according to a nonpartisan analysis. The state will levy a 15% tax, with the money largely dedicated to public education. Maryland voters approved a ballot question to allow sports betting in 2020, which was followed by the law passed earlier this year setting the parameters of how the industry will operate. #### | | | |
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