The location is close to the Delaware border; the opening ceremony took place after the successful completion of a two-day trial supervised by the Maryland Lottery officials.

The facility features a casino floor with approximately 800 reel and video slot machines, and table games for poker, craps, roulette, blackjack and more, as well as dining and free live entertainment. The casino is open 24 hours a day, all year round.

Hollywood Casino is the fifth facility to open sports betting after MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino, Horseshow and Ocean Downs, which launched their sportsbooks earlier in December.

All licences were awarded last month by the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission.

There are 17 entities in total (including the five casinos) that are designated in the sports wagering law to conduct sports betting. Other facilities, including Long Shot’s, Riverboat and Greenmount Station, are expected to accept sports wagers in early 2022.

With a 15% tax on revenue, expectations are that once sports betting is fully operational, total revenue willreach $100m annually, with about $15m for the state and $85m for the businesses.

Washington DC and 31 states have already approved sports wagering, including Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Maryland approved a ballot to legalise sports betting during the 2020 election, by a margin of two to one.