May leave Maryland
Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, has piled the pressure onto Kentucky lawmakers to legalize sports betting.
He is willing to build a new stadium in the state, on the condition that the facility could offer wagering. If not, he has suggested that the NFL team could swap the Bluegrass State for Virgina.
the NFL team could swap the Bluegrass State for Virgina
Sports betting is being considered by lawmakers in Maryland within a larger gambling expansion plan.
Redskins owner met lawmakers
Snyder met with Maryland lawmakers earlier this week. According to Senate President Bill Ferguson and other leaders that met with the Redskins owner, the stadium is conditional to sports betting legalization.
Snyder is the first owner of an NFL team to approach lawmakers in Maryland for a sports betting license. During meetings this week, Snyder described sports betting as part of an overall plan to build a new stadium in the state. It would be a domed venue and would include training facilities, offices, and hotels.
The possibility of allowing a future stadium of the Redskins to offer gambling could create a debate as to whether or not other sports arenas in the state should be licensed.
Facilities like Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium might want in on the action as well. However, the Horseshoe Casino, located just blocks from the arenas, might not be happy with the competition.
Search for new home
Snyder has been in talks for quite some time about building a new home for the Redskins.
As the search continues, the Redskins are looking further afield. This includes areas in Maryland and Virginia. The team will remain at FedExField in Landover until the lease expires 2027. However, Snyder is wasting no time in searching for possible locations.
Gambling expansion considerations
The Maryland General Assembly is considering a gambling expansion, one that would include sports betting. The goal is to create revenues to improve education in the state.
Currently, a debate is taking place as to how the industry should be created. Considerations are being made regarding mobile betting via video games and esports.
According to Senator Guy J. Guzzone, many people want to be a part of sports betting in the state. He said:
It’s a long lineup of people who are interested.”
No stranger to gambling
The Washington Redskins are no strangers to gambling. They became the first NFL team to create gambling-focused telecasts in August 2019. The Redskins took inspiration from the NBA’s Washington Wizards and proceeded to create gambling-focused telecasts for their preseason games.
NBC Sports Washington aired the telecasts via their secondary channel. A traditional telecast with no gambling focus remained on the main channel. During the gambling telecasts, viewers could win prize for predicting in-game outcomes. Entry was free and each quarter of four preseason games presented one winner with $1,000.