Sports betting in Maryland topped $593 million in October 2024. Of that, $7 million will be contributed to the state, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming.

In Maryland, sports betting became legal in June 2021 after lawmakers saw overwhelming support for the legislation. Now, sports betting in Maryland is accessible through 11 mobile platforms and 12 retail locations.

October’s $7,049,747 contribution was a 21.3% increase from $5.8 million in October 2023 and was the third-best monthly contribution since Maryland launched its sports betting program in December 2021, according to data from Maryland Lottery and Gaming.

October’s total amount of money wagered of $593,105,471 was the state’s largest single-month total and was up 22.8% compared to the $483.1 million total from October 2023, data shows.

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“October is a uniquely busy month on the sports calendar because all of the major pro leagues in the U.S. are in season, along with NCAA football,” said Maryland Lottery and Gaming Director John Martin. “The Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders have both looked like Super Bowl contenders, so there’s definitely been extra enthusiasm in the air.”

Contributions from sports betting go to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, a program that supports public education programs.

Between July 2024 and October 2024, sports betting contributed about $28.3 million to the Blueprint fund, officials said.

Since the program was launched in December 2021, more than $116 million has gone to the Blueprint fund, data shows.

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner. Read the original story.