Maryland Attorney General sounds alarm over sportsbook scams
Anthony G. Brown warns Free State residents over “aggressive marketing” by sportsbook operators
Maryland’s Attorney General, Anthony G. Brown has issued a ‘consumer alert’ in the Free State, urging Marylanders to be aware of “deceptive” online sports betting companies.
Issued in the run up to the 2023 Preakness Stakes horseracing event, which took place in Baltimore, Maryland, over the weekend, Brown warned over “aggressive marketing” by sportsbooks in the state, including the use of so-called ‘risk-free’ bets.
The Maryland AG suggested Marylanders should retain an awareness that the fine print of terms and conditions could “contain limitations that negate the promised benefits” of placing the bet.
“Additionally, it’s not just enticements and complicated ‘deals’ – which may end up costing consumers more money than they were planning to spend in the first place – online gambling is also a target for cybercriminals looking to defraud unsuspecting bettors,” Brown wrote in the alert.
Brown outlined a number of tips for users to avoid being scammed including checking user ratings, reading fine print, and ignoring all online gambling pop-up ads and unsolicited emails, text messages, or social media messages which they may receive.
“Deceptive practices and scams have the potential to overshadow the excitement of sports betting and leave Marylanders vulnerable to financial losses,” continued Attorney General Brown.
“I urge all Marylanders to remain vigilant, conduct thorough research, and exercise caution to avoid financial loss due to misleading tactics. We will protect Maryland residents and their hard-earned money from deception by online sports gaming companies,” he added.
Maryland went live with online sports betting in November 2022, and the state now plays host to 10 online sportsbook operators, with mobile sportsbooks raking in $313.4m in handle in April.
The state’s operators generated $25.7m in taxable revenue during April, with sportsbooks taxed at 15%, leaving state coffers with just $3.8m.
US market leader FanDuel continued its reign at the top of Maryland’s market, collecting $150.7m in handle over April and $16.4m in taxable revenue, followed by DraftKings with $101.3m in handle and BetMGM with just $28.3m.