Instead of calling a local bookie or placing a wager on a website based offshore - with few, if any, consumer protections - bettors as of Wednesday will need only to whip out their mobile device, at any hour of the day or night, and open their preferred app. But Wednesday will represent a breakthrough moment for an activity that has long existed in the shadows. Marylanders have been able to place legal wagers on sporting events at casinos and other venues for nearly a year. Larry Hogan (R) said Tuesday, gamblers will have their choice of seven mobile apps - a field that includes several industry leaders that are already active in dozens of other states. The era of mobile sports gaming in Maryland dawns on Wednesday. Larry Hogan (R) with John Martin, the director of the State Lottery & Gaming Control Agency, at a State House news conference Tuesday.
