Maryland Casinos

Maryland Gambling History

• 1743 – The Maryland Jockey Club was formed where it held its horse races at Pimlico Race Course. The race course is still open and is home to The Preakness. The horse racing industry was allowed to run without regulation up to the 1870s.
• 1791 – Maryland legalized good-cause lotteries.
• 1834 – The state illegalized lotteries, with new licenses for lotteries outlawed.
• 1870 – Maryland state legalized racing, with pari-mutuel betting pools created under a racing commission. The counties or cities would regulate tracks located within their borders until the state took control in 1912.
• 1952 – Maryland state legalized charitable bingo.
• 1963 – Slot machines banned in the state.
• 1973 – Maryland voters voted in favor of a constitutional amendment that would see the state establish a lottery. The first lottery ticket was sold in 1973, with the first scratch-off ticket sold in 1976.
• 1988 – Maryland approved off-track betting. The activity would take place whenever live racing was not operating. Later in 1993, the state expanded off-track betting to operate at any time the facilities were open.
• 2008 – Maryland approved casinos via a constitutional referendum. The casinos would operate under the Maryland Lottery oversight. Additionally, the year saw the ban on slot machines lifted.
• 2010 – Hollywood Casino in Perryville became the first land-based casino to open its doors in Maryland.
• 2011 – Ocean Downs became the second land-based casino to open in the state.
• 2012 – Maryland Live! opened.
• 2013 – Rocky Gap Casino opened.
• 2014 – Horseshoe Casino opened.

Is it Legal to Gamble Online in Maryland?

Maryland defines gambling as ‘wagering or betting in a manner to receive something of value dependent upon the result of any race, contest, or contingency.’ A point to note is that Maryland gambling laws do not mention ‘online,’ but Section 12 states that it is illegal for a person to bet, wager, or gamble on an unlicensed platform. Sub-section 103 goes further to mention ‘gaming device’, which may define computer, tablet, or mobile. In a nutshell, the state must legalize every gambling activity, whether offline or online.

At the same time, the state doesn’t place any restriction is on offshore online gambling sites operating in Maryland. This includes online casinos, online poker sites, online bingo sites, among others.

However, MD does not legalize online casinos and online poker sites. This means that one will not find any online casino or poker sites registered, licensed, and regulated by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission. So, can I gamble online in MD? The answer is it depends on the gambling form one opts for as follows:

Online Casino

The only legalized casinos for real money are land-based casinos regulated under the Maryland Lottery. The state doesn’t legalize any online casino despite the availability of several gambling companies such as Penn National Gaming, TwinSpires, BetMGM, and Caesars having their foothold in the state. While it may be a pointer that the state might legalize online casinos in the future, bettors can access legal social casinos for online gambling in MD. They allow playing on online slots, table games, and tournaments with no real money.

Additionally, they follow a similar framework to the real-money online casinos by offering a loyalty program to consistent players. One such social casino operating in Maryland is Live! Social Casino, operated by the Maryland Live! Casino.

However, MD players can reprieve with the state not criminalizing any online casino gambling at offshore casinos. One can easily get real-money payouts from such sites, including those we have mentioned in our guide.

Online Poker

Like MD casinos, players can find offline poker rooms in the majority of land-based casinos. However, the same stance applied to online casinos also applies to online poker. The state doesn’t legalize any online poker site, and limited offshore options are accepting Maryland players. A 2012 legislative agenda by the then State House Speaker Michael Busch would see online poker included as part of a gambling expansion plan in MD. While this did not come to fruition, many hope that this might change in the future, considering neighboring states such as Delaware and West Virginia have been in the process of trying to legalize online poker.

Online Sports Betting

Since the landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court in 2018, many states have gone to legalize sports betting (offline & online). Maryland is among the latest state to legalize online sports betting after the MD voters voted in favor of the bill (HB 940). The legislators passed the bill in Nov 2020, and in May 2021, Gov. Larry Hogan signed it into law. As it stands, it is fully legal to bet on sports online. However, players will have to wait until late 2021 or early 2022 to take their bets.

The passage of the HB 940 bill by the legislature also laid out the number of licenses that would be made available to interested parties. For example, the state looks to provide sixty (60) operational licenses to online sportsbooks. Therefore, bettors can expect a wide range of sports, betting markets, options, competitive odds, and generous bonuses. Maryland joins its neighbors such as Washington DC, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia in legalizing online sports betting.

The developments so far include the BetMGM + Baltimore Ravens partnership on May 19, 2021, and the PointsBet + Riverboat on the Potomac partnership on June 10, 2021. The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission also approved all sports betting rules and regulations set out.

Online Lottery

Maryland also offers lotteries, with inter-state games and multi-state games such as Powerball and Mega Millions made available. In addition, the lottery also provides Keno and Scratch-offs. One can purchase the tickets across the 4400+ retailers spread in the state. However, the online lottery is not legal in MD. For now, players can only download a Maryland Lottery App to scan tickets and check results or set jackpot alerts. 

Online Bingo

MD residents can enjoy several live bingo halls such as ADF Bingo, Bingo World, Optimists Club Bingo, and The Mason Dixon Bingo Hall. However, those who wish to play online at their comfort will not have any online bingo site licensed by the state. However, the gambling laws in Maryland do not criminalize any online bingo betting activity on offshore sites.

Online Horse Race Betting

Maryland is a massive hub for horse racing events and is home to popular racing tracks, like the Pimlico Race Course. The state allows horse race wagering at the land-based facilities or online over the websites or applications. Some of the licensed OFB sites licensed in Maryland include TwinSpires and XpressBet. Many betting options are available on the sites, including live betting, tote, mid-tote, fixed-odds betting, and exotics such as trifecta, exacta, first four, and quinella.

Online Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes are fully legal in the state. One golden rule is that players should not pay or make any purchase to enter into the competition. Additionally, the winner should be declared by chance and not merit nor skill. Several prizes and gifts are up for grabs on these sweepstakes.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Maryland was the first US state to legalize daily fantasy sports (DFS) in 2012. Five years later, the state placed further regulation where the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission would oversight all DFS activities in the state. One of the rules set on the DFS sites operating in Maryland, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, is that players should not make a deposit exceeding $1,000. Additionally, the state restricts the providers from hosting college sports contests.

Can You Play Slots Online in Maryland?

Slots lovers can access MD online slots to play for free and fun on the different social casinos licensed to operate in the state. MD gamblers can access various features from these slots ranging from standard symbols such as free spins, bonus rounds, wilds, scatters, and multipliers to unique symbols such as gamble, megaclusters, megaways, and cascading reels. The main drawback is that they cannot win real money from these social casinos.

Those who wish to play slots at Maryland online casinos for real money can only play the offshore online casinos. Additionally, these slots also allow demo mode for free play. The current gambling laws in Maryland do not legalize any online casinos and do not restrict offshore online casinos. Simply put, no online casino is registered and licensed under Maryland Lottery and Gambling Control Commission. 

Some of the top online slot providers include:

• NetEnt: Arguably one of the top software providers with twenty-plus years of experience. Fitted with the highest payouts, NetEnt slots boast superb graphics and audio, diverse themes, and innovative features. Among the top NetEnt slots include Mega Fortune, Blood Suckers, and Starburst.
• Playtech: Yet another software provider in the online gambling industry. Playtech slots boast top-notch graphics, animations, themes, and outstanding features. The provider is also famous for branded slots such as Top Gun, Justice League, and RoboCop. Also offered is the popular Age of the God jackpot series.
• Blueprint Gaming: Blueprint Gaming provides its solutions to online casinos, mobile casinos, and land-based casinos. The provider is known for its branded games and standout features such as Megaways. Some of its top slot games include Ted, The Goonies, and Fishin’ Frenzy.
• Endorphina: The provider is known for its visually appealing slots complemented with innovative features and bonuses. What’s more, Endorphina adds the modernity aspect to its products, including 3D animations. Among the top slots by the provider include Gladiator and Satoshi’s Secret (a Bitcoin game).

Gambling Age Law

Maryland legal gambling laws set the minimum age limit at 18 years for any person wishing to play the lottery, visit a bingo hall, or make bets on any pari-mutuel facility. The age limit on the casinos is different, considering most of these facilities serve alcohol. The minimum age limit on land-based casinos in Maryland is 21 years. 

What do Maryland online gambling laws state? Players looking to bet on the racing events, lottery, and bingo may need to meet the 18+ age limit. However, Maryland doesn’t legalize online casinos, and this leaves a void on the age limit. This makes it a bit confusing, considering the offshore online casino have different age limits. Some of them set at 18 years, while others set the age limit at 21 years. In whatever site one opts for, the first rule placed universally is to ensure that measures, such as know your customer (KYC), are in place to prevent underage gambling.

Most Reputable 18+ Online Casinos for Maryland Players

Wish to play on the most reputable sites accepting players aged 18+? Our guide has provided a list of the best online casinos MD players can try their luck on. However, it is vital to consider the gambling laws set by the state. While MD has no gambling age limit on the online casinos, many view the offline casinos’ age limit to apply on the offshore online casinos. To be safe legally, we advise that players adhere to the age limit set.

Land-Based Casinos in Maryland

While some states may boast of hundreds of land-based casinos, Maryland is short of options. This may be attributed to the few residents in MD. Players can get a taste of traditional experience on six (6) land-based casinos. The state complements this by offering two (2) racetracks that bettors can walk in for pari-mutuel betting. 

The facilities are all registered and registered under the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission that oversights every activity. Hosted on these facilities are slot machines, table games, social casinos, sweepstakes, bingo halls, among other games. 

The six land-based casinos are as follows:

The Future of Online Gambling in Maryland

The future of MD online sports betting is very bright. The process is nearing completion, with the Governor signing the bill into law. For now, online sports betting in the state is legal. What’s remaining is the first bet to be taken in the state, which looks to be later this year or earlier next year.

For online casinos, the future is not so bright at the moment. There are currently no bills or proposals being debated on online casinos despite most neighboring states, such as Pennsylvania, licensing online casinos. The same applies to online poker that is also gaining ground in many US states. There has been minimal to no talk bar the 2012 legislative agenda that would see online poker included in the expanded gambling package.

However, the positive sign is the presence of several gambling companies that have run various successful online casinos across the US. Some of these brands include Penn National Gaming, Caesars, and BetMGM. With online sports betting coming into fruition, attention may now shift into online casinos and poker that would contribute massively to the general revenue collected in Maryland. In addition, the pressure from its neighboring states that have legalized online gambling may soon catch up with MD.