Maryland Online Casinos

Online gambling is not yet legal in Maryland, but momentum for change is growing.

Recent discussions among lawmakers and industry stakeholders have intensified and could clear the way for Maryland online casinos to serve a vast, untapped market currently dominated by illegal offshore operators.

This page provides a comprehensive overview of the latest Maryland online gambling developments, legislative updates, market projections, and related considerations.

Sweepstakes Casinos in Maryland

Casino.Click250,000 GC + 25 Free SCCasino.Click Promo Code: None Needed Get Bonus
WOW Vegas35 Free Sweepstakes CoinsWOW Vegas Promo Code: None Needed Get Bonus
Stake.us25 Stake Cash + 250K Gold CoinsStake.us Promo Code: Not Needed Get Bonus

Sweepstakes casinos are the closest alternative to legal online gambling in Maryland. They offer casino-style games like slots, blackjack, and, in some cases, live dealer games.

Recommended Sweepstakes Casinos in Maryland

BettingUSA advises players to use reputable and well-known sweepstakes casinos only. Detailed reviews of our recommended sweepstakes platforms are available below:

How Maryland Sweepstakes Casinos Operate

Sweepstakes casinos do not constitute traditional online gambling. Instead, they operate under U.S. sweepstakes laws and construct their offerings to avoid classification as illegal gambling in Maryland.

Their defining characteristic is that players can participate for free, which makes sweepstakes casinos legally distinct from online gambling in Maryland.

Additionally, sweepstakes casinos eschew direct cash-in/cash-out transactions.

Instead, players acquire virtual currency, typically “Sweeps Coins,” through promotions, written requests, or as bonuses when purchasing fun-mode tokens, often called “Gold Coins.”

Players can also acquire Sweeps Coins when playing casino-style games modeled after real-money slots, blackjack, online craps, etc. Unlike Gold Coins, which have no monetary value, Sweeps Coins won from sweepstakes games are redeemable for cash prizes.

Note: While sweepstakes casinos are currently legal in Maryland, recent developments suggest that most operators may eventually cease accepting new registrations from residents, as detailed below.

Legal Concerns for Sweepstakes Casinos in Maryland

Sweepstakes casinos face increasing scrutiny in Maryland, with regulators and legislators contemplating stricter oversight or outright prohibition.

These platforms have long operated in a legal gray area in Maryland but now face legal threats from legislative proposals, regulatory actions, and pressure from industry stakeholders.

Legislative Challenges

Legislations poses the most immediate existential threat to sweepstakes casinos in Maryland.

For example, Sen. Paul Corderman introduced SB 860 in January 2025 to:

  • Prohibit games that use a dual-currency model to simulate casino gambling, sports betting, or lotteries
  • Restrict Maryland gambling licensees, financial institutions, payment processors, geolocation firms, gambling suppliers, and affiliates from supporting sweepstakes casinos

The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA), a sweepstakes advocacy group, issued a statement opposing SB 860, stating:

“Social casinos with sweepstakes prizes are a legal form of entertainment enjoyed by millions of American adults. SPGA members operate within the laws governing sweepstakes promotions and uphold the highest standards of compliance, transparency and consumer protection.

“This bill is another unfortunate example of anti-competitive special interests bending the legislature to their will at the expense of innovation, small businesses, and the millions of consumers who enjoy the safe and engaging mobile games offered by social casinos.”

Regulatory Actions

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) did not wait for state law to change to take proactive steps.

In a January 2025 operations update, the MLGCA disclosed:

  • The issuance of cease-and-desist letters to eleven “illegal operators,” including six sweepstakes casinos
  • Non-compliance by all targeted sweepstakes casinos, prompting plans for a second round of letters targeting operators and their payment processors

Although the MLGCA contends that sweepstakes casino games are illegal in Maryland, not all officials agree.

Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary, speaking before the House Ways and Means Committee in early 2025, noted that no specific Maryland statute empowers the MLGCA to expel sweepstakes casinos.

Although none of the targeted operators complied with the MLGCA’s cease-and-desist letters, some other sweepstakes casinos have preemptively halted new registrations from Maryland residents.

Will Maryland Legalize Online Casinos?

Sustained legislative efforts, backing from local casino operators, and promising revenue projections suggest that Maryland will eventually legalize online casinos.

However, formidable challenges, including concerns over revenue cannibalization and the potential need for a constitutional amendment, complicate the path to legalization.

The odds favor legalization, but success is not guaranteed. Should proponents garner more support in the Senate and address stakeholder concerns, Maryland online casinos could become operational within the next few years.

Factors Favoring Legalization

One of the strongest indicators that Maryland may legalize online casinos is the consistent push from proponents.

Lawmakers have repeatedly introduced bills to regulate Maryland online casinos, with proposals emerging in 2023, 2024, and 2025. These persistent efforts to legalize online gambling demonstrate that lawmakers are committed to finding a way forward.

Each attempt refines past proposals and builds support, increasing the chances of eventual success.

Legal online casinos in Maryland could generate massive tax revenue. Senator Ron Watson, a prominent advocate, has estimated that online casinos could generate over $100 million in tax revenue annually.

Other estimates suggest legal Maryland gambling sites could produce $350 million or more in tax revenue annually.

In 2023, The Innovation Group estimated that offshore online casinos generate $197 million annually from Maryland players.

Channeling players onto regulated gambling platforms would provide multiple complementary benefits:

  • Enhance consumer protection and responsible gambling measures
  • Increase state tax revenue
  • Reduce illegal operators’ revenue

A Maryland online gambling bill passed the House of Delegates in 2024 but stalled in the Senate.

Bipartisan House approval surmounts a key legislative barrier, allowing Maryland iGaming proponents to concentrate their efforts on securing Senate votes.

State Senator Ron Watson, who has led multiple Maryland online gambling efforts, has refined his strategy based on past efforts.

At the 2024 National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) summer meeting, he explained that he has learned to be more proactive in promoting legislation and educating lawmakers.

“The legislator is literally just the quarterback,” he said. “All we do is introduce the bill, but you need a whole team behind this type of legislation, and I’m suggesting a marketing team to really make this thing happen.”

The first Maryland sports betting apps launched in 2022 and have generated substantial tax revenue for the state.

Additionally, the state’s experience regulating online sports betting in Maryland applies to online gambling in areas such as customer identity verification, geolocation, and responsible gambling.

Obstacles to Legalization

Cannibalization tops the list of concerns raised by those who oppose legalizing online casinos in Maryland.

Multiple groups have published studies on the potential impacts of legalizing online gambling in Maryland and have reached differing conclusions.

However, opponents highlight a 2023 report by The Innovation Group, commissioned by the MLGCA, which projected a 10.2% revenue decline worth approximately $218 million for existing casinos.

Job losses are a critical issue for casino operators and unions.

In 2023, the leaders of UNITE HERE Locals 7 and 25 penned an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun opposing online gambling over fears that it will harm “thousands” of local workers.

A follow-up report from The Innovation Group, commissioned by the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) in 2025, reached even more alarming conclusions:

  • Up to 1,611 lost jobs
  • 16% decline in brick-and-mortar casino revenue
  • State GDP loss of $333 – $412 million
  • Increased problem gambling rates
  • Reduced physical development and community reinvestment from Maryland casinos

A separate Sage Policy Group study commissioned by the Anne Arundel County Chamber of Congress in 2023 estimated that Maryland online casinos could result in up to 2,700 lost jobs.

Maryland problem gambling organizations have voiced significant concerns about the potential legalization of online casinos.

Organizations such as the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling caution that online casinos’ accessibility could exacerbate problem gambling rates.

A Morgan State University study cited during legislative debates found that 75% of individuals exposed to online casinos report gambling issues, compared to 22% of those not exposed.

Most Maryland casinos support legalization, but those that oppose online gambling have an outsized ability to derail future legislative efforts because it requires less effort to:

  • Convince lawmakers to leave things the way they are than to risk supporting a measure that’s been marketed to their constituents as harmful
  • Sway public opinion enough to block a constitutional amendment in a statewide referendum

Operators opposed to legalizing online casinos in Maryland include:

  • The Cordish Companies: The parent company of Live! Casino & Hotel opposes online gambling outright over cannibalization, job loss, and responsible gambling concerns.
  • Churchill Downs, Inc.: Churchill Downs Inc. (Ocean Downs Casino) opposes online gambling in Maryland for the same reasons.

The Cordish Companies and Churchill Downs, Inc. are staunch opponents of legalizing online casinos in Maryland. In fact, the two companies partnered to form the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG).

Other Maryland casino operators favor legalization, but some only offer conditional support, depending on any particular proposal’s details.

  • MGM Resorts International: MGM National Harbor’s parent company supports legalizing online casinos in Maryland
  • Caesars Entertainment: The parent company of Horseshoe Baltimore supports online gambling if lawmakers restrict licenses to land-based casinos. Horseshoe GM Randy Conroy has also voiced concerns over bills proposing tax rates of up to 55%. He has urged lawmakers to consider “a reasonable” tax rate of 15%.
  • PENN Entertainment: Hollywood Casino Perryville representatives have offered conditional support of legalization if online casino licenses are restricted to land-based casinos.
  • Century Casinos: Century Casinos, the parent company of Rocky Gap Casino, supports legalization but has also asked lawmakers to institute a lower tax rate.

Some Maryland stakeholders not directly involved in gambling oppose legalization over the potential carry-on effects on their industries.

For example, Kristen Pironis, the Executive Director of Visit Annapolis, attended a committee meeting in 2025 to argue that Maryland online casinos would poach foot traffic from land-based properties, resulting in fewer visitors to local hotels and businesses:

“It’s not just about the gaming revenue we’re talking about here today. It’s about that tourism ecosystem and what is built up around those casinos. You don’t build up a community around the internet. You don’t build up a community around a phone.”

Maryland’s constitution mandates a voter referendum for any gambling expansion.

This requirement introduces uncertainty and delays the process, as proponents must convince both lawmakers and the public.

Opinions polls on legalizing online gambling in Maryland have reached conflicting results but indicate the need for a compelling campaign to secure voter approval, making this a significant barrier to legalization within the next few years.

Some lawmakers have posited that legalizing online gambling would not require a constitutional amendment if servers were located in existing land-based casinos. However, it’s uncertain how much weight those arguments would hold in court.

How Maryland May Regulate Online Casinos

Recent bills, such as HB 17 and SB 340, outline a possible approach to regulating online Maryland online casinos:

  • Minimum online gambling age: 21
  • License Eligibility: Land-based casinos and other local applicants that meet certain experience or diversity criteria
  • Licensing Fees: $1 million initial fee; annual renewal fee of 1% of revenue
  • Tax Rates: 20% tax on live dealer games; 55% on other casino games
  • Job Protections: Establishes a fund to support displaced casino workers

Future negotiations may result in significant adjustments related to tax rates, licensing eligibility, responsible gambling measures, and job loss mitigation.

Past Legalization Efforts

Earlier proposals also provide some insight into the evolution of the Maryland online gambling debate.

In 2023, lawmakers considered SB 267, which would have legalized online casinos in Maryland, subject to a statewide referendum. However, the bill failed to advance in the Senate.

Lawmakers considered three additional bills to legalize Maryland online casinos in 2024, but all ran into roadblocks along the way. The 2024 trio included:

  • Casinos and other qualified entities may apply for up to three online gambling licenses
  • First online gambling license available to casinos that demonstrate ownership of at least 5% by social equity applicants or that have profit-sharing agreements with non-management employees who would otherwise qualify as social equity applicants
  • Second license available to casinos that operate online gambling in a joint venture granting a social equity applicant at least 33% ownership
  • Casinos that qualify for and receive the second license may apply for a third online gambling license
  • $1 million licensing fee
  • 21+ to gamble online
  • Licensed online casinos must prepare and submit plans to support diversity among owners, investors, managers, employees and contractors
  • Maryland online casinos incentivized to employ people from economically disadvantaged areas
  • 20% tax on live dealer revenue and 55% tax on all other casino games
  • Earmarked tax proceeds for various initiatives, including problem gambling and funding to support video lottery facility employees displaced by online gambling

  • Calls for a statewide referendum to legalize online gambling in Maryland
  • Tax revenue shall be used primarily to fund public education in Maryland
  • If voters approve, the General Assembly shall pass legislation authorizing the State lottery and Gaming Control Commission to issue licenses to offer online gambling
  • The legislation shall include licensing conditions and other details necessary to govern online casinos in Maryland

  • Allow Maryland casinos to apply for online gambling licenses
  • $1,000,000 initial licensing fee
  • 47% tax on internet gaming revenue
  • 21+ to gamble online
  • 1% of tax revenue earmarked for problem gambling, 1% to the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency to reimburse licensing investigation costs, and the remainder to support public education via the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund

Maryland Online Gambling Market Potential

Multiple studies produced in recent years estimate that Maryland online casinos could generate between $900 million and $1.4 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

However, readers should approach these estimates with caution, as uncertainty surrounding tax rates may affect their accuracy.

Ongoing discussions could result in Maryland online casinos paying anywhere from 15% to 55% on gross gaming revenue (GGR).

A tax rate at either end of that range will significantly alter the size of Maryland’s online gambling market and realized tax income to the state.

Revenue Projections

  • The Innovation Group (2025): Year 5 GGR of $1.2 billion; tax revenue of $246.9 million
  • Analysis Group (2024): Year 5 GGR of $1.368 billion
  •  HB 17 Fiscal Note (2025): Up to $321.4 million* in annual tax revenue
  • Vixio GamingCompliance (2024): Up to $1 billion GGR and $333.8 million in annual tax revenue

*Caution warranted: The Department of Legislative Services reached that figure by applying proposed tax rates of 20% on live dealer games and 55% on other casino games to prior estimates of total market size that did not consider the effects of tax rates on the market’s potential.

Maryland Online Gambling FAQ

No. Maryland has not yet legalized online gambling. However, sweepstakes casinos serve as a close alternative.

Legalization could occur within 2-5 years, contingent on overcoming opposition and constitutional requirements.

Yes, but regulatory pressure has prompted some operators to exit the market.

Either 18 or 21, depending on the platform.

Recent proposals designate the MLGCA as the regulatory authority.