The Maryland Sports Betting Alliance (MSBA) has been fined $48,000 for violating the state’s disclosure law. The fine was imposed by the Maryland State Ethics Commission after it found that the MSBA failed to disclose its financial backers and lobbying activities.

The MSBA is a group of sports betting companies that lobbied for the legalization of sports betting in Maryland. The group was formed in 2018 and played a key role in the successful campaign to legalize sports betting in the state.

However, the MSBA failed to disclose its financial backers and lobbying activities as required by Maryland law. The state’s disclosure law requires groups that spend more than $10,000 on lobbying activities to register with the State Ethics Commission and disclose their financial backers.

The MSBA argued that it was not required to register with the State Ethics Commission because it did not engage in direct lobbying activities. However, the commission found that the group’s activities constituted indirect lobbying and therefore required registration and disclosure.

The commission also found that the MSBA failed to disclose its financial backers, which included several major sports betting companies. The MSBA argued that it did not have to disclose its financial backers because they did not contribute more than $10,000 individually. However, the commission found that the group should have disclosed the total amount of contributions from its financial backers.

The MSBA has agreed to pay the $48,000 fine and register with the State Ethics Commission. The group has also agreed to disclose its financial backers and lobbying activities in the future.

The fine imposed on the MSBA is a reminder of the importance of transparency in lobbying activities. Lobbying can have a significant impact on public policy, and it is important for the public to know who is behind these efforts.

In recent years, there has been growing concern about the influence of money in politics. Many states have enacted disclosure laws to promote transparency in lobbying activities. These laws require groups to register with state ethics commissions and disclose their financial backers and lobbying activities.

The Maryland Sports Betting Alliance’s violation of the state’s disclosure law is a reminder that these laws are important and must be enforced. By promoting transparency in lobbying activities, these laws help to ensure that public policy decisions are made in the best interests of the public, rather than the interests of special interests.