New Sports Betting Commission’s Speaker Gets Two Slots for Serving Filled

Adrienne A. Jones, the House Speaker of D-Baltimore County, got two positions filled in through a new panel for the state. The panel will select those Maryland-based firms that are eligible for running a legal sportsbook. The new names being elected include Frank Turner and Cassandra Stevenson as additions to the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission. The board earlier constituted of seven members. A press release by the speaker’s office reported Stevenson to be heading the corporate tax division at Raymond James Financial, where she is also the senior vice president. Residing in Montgomery County, tax compliance measures and the reporting of the firms for subsidiaries are handled by Stevenson. 

Turner has served the House of Delegates for a record six terms spanning from 1995 to 2019. A democrat from Howard County who had been associated with the Ways & Means Committee as the vice-chairman. Turner has an impressive bio, having headed the Finance Resources Subcommittee as mentioned by Jones’s office. One that was involved in implementing the gaming law across Maryland from 2007 to its evolution in 2021. The reports also specify him being a professor emeritus of Morgan State University, one of the most widely recognized business schools.

The Sports Wagering Application Review Commission or SWARC was a result of the referendum of 2020. The referendum sought approval from the voters to allowing sports gambling which led the General Assembly to take charge for the creation of SWARC. Applications from various firms will be screened by the commission. The commission will review applications from companies who want to open a physical betting shop or develop a mobile app.

When lawmakers passed sports betting legislation in early 2021, they made it plain that the new business should represent the diversity of the state.

The state Senate will select two members, whereas Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) will appoint two. These decisions will be made in the following days.

E. Randolph Marriner, the head of the Lottery and Gaming Control Commission, or his appointee, shall chair the panel.