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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING 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.
*hb1612*
HOUSE BILL 1612
C7 6lr3716
HB 922/25 – W&M CF SB 970
By: Delegate Ebersole
Introduced and read first time: February 17, 2026
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations
Re–referred to: Ways and Means, February 26, 2026
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 9, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Sports Wagering – Gaming – Campaign Financing Contributions and Study on 2
Independent Evaluation of Sports Wagering 3
FOR the purpose of requiring, rather than authorizing, certain sports wagering licensees 4
and sports wagering operators that advertise in the State to contract with repealing 5
the prohibition on applicants for and holders of video lottery operation licenses and 6
persons who own an interest in video lottery facility operations in the State from 7
directly or indirectly making contributions to certain campaign finance entities; 8
requiring the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency to study and report to the 9
Governor and the General Assembly, on or before a certain date, on certain matters 10
concerning certain independent evaluators for certain purposes sports wagering 11
content; and generally relating to the evaluation of sports wagering content gaming. 12
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13
Article – State Government 14
Section 9–1E–17(d) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17
BY repealing 18
Article – Election Law 19
Section 13–237 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1612
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – State Government 3
9–1E–17. 4
(d) A sports wagering licensee or sports wagering operator that advertises in the 5
State [may] SHALL contract with an independent evaluator licensed under subsection (b) 6
of this section to evaluate and rate the sports wagering licensee’s sports wagering content, 7
sports wagering experts, sports wagering influencers, and content partners. 8
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is contingent on the 9
State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission issuing licenses as required under § 10
9–1E–17 of the State Government Article to at least three independent evaluators. 11
Article – Election Law 12
[13–237. 13
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 14
(2) “Own” has the meaning stated in § 9 –1A–01 of the State Government 15
Article. 16
(3) “Video lottery facility” has the meaning stated in § 9–1A–01 of the State 17
Government Article. 18
(4) “Video lottery operation license” has the meaning stated in § 9 –1A–01 19
of the State Government Article. 20
(b) This section applies to the following persons: 21
(1) an applicant for a video lottery operation license; 22
(2) a holder of a video lottery operation license; or 23
(3) a person who owns an interest in the operation of a video lottery facility 24
in this State. 25
(c) This section does not apply to gaming activity that an eligible organization is 26
authorized to conduct under the Criminal Law Article. 27
(d) A person subject to this section may not, directly or indirectly, make a 28
contribution to: 29
HOUSE BILL 1612 3
(1) the campaign finance entity of a candidate for any nonfederal public 1
office in the State; or 2
(2) any other campaign finance entity organized in support of a candidate 3
for any nonfederal public office in the State.] 4
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before January 1, 2027, 5
the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency shall study and report to the Governor and 6
the General Assembly, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, on: 7
(1) the number of independent evaluators licensed by the State Lottery and 8
Gaming Control Commission under § 9–1E–17 of the State Government Article; 9
(2) the utilization of independent evaluators by sports wagering licensees 10
and sports wagering operators in the State to evaluate sports wagering content in 11
accordance with § 9–1E–17 of the State Government Article; 12
(3) the utilization of independent evaluators by sports wagering licensees 13
and sports wagering operators in other states to evaluate sports wagering content; and 14
(4) whether any other states require sports wagering licensees or sports 15
wagering operators licensed in those states to contract with independent evaluators to 16
evaluate sports wagering content. 17
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 1 of this Act shall 18
take effect January 1, 2027. 19
SECTION 3. 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, subject to Section 2 except 20
as provided in Section 3 of this Act, this Act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 21
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.