Maryland Online Gambling
Several online gambling formats are explicitly legal and regulated in Maryland, while others are merely tolerated.
The regulated Maryland online gambling market consists of sports betting, daily fantasy sports, horse racing wagering, and lottery subscriptions.
Online casinos and poker remain prohibited, but sweepstakes casinos serve as a close alternative despite their legal uncertainty.
Read on for a full breakdown of legal Maryland gambling sites, legal alternatives to online casinos, recent legislative developments, and resources for responsible play.
Legal Maryland Gambling Sites
21+ and present in MD. Please play responsibly. For help visit mdgamblinghelp.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Maryland Online Gambling Overview
| Type of Gambling (minimum age to play) | Legal Status | Notes |
| Online Casinos (n/a) | Illegal | Prohibited under state law; no licensed operators |
| Sweepstakes Casinos (18+) | Contested | Legal gray area; subject to increasing enforcement efforts |
| Online Poker (n/a) | Illegal | Prohibited under gambling statutes; no licensed poker sites |
| Online Sports Betting (21+) | Legal/Regulated | Legal and regulated by MLGCA; multiple licensed operators |
| Daily Fantasy Sports (18+) | Legal/Regulated | Legalized in 2021; multiple licensed operators |
| Fantasy Pick’em Contests (n/a) | Illegal | MLGCA regulations specifically ban fantasy pick’em contests |
| Online Lottery Sales (18+) | Legal/Regulated | Subscriptions available for select games; no individual ticket sales online |
| Online Horse Racing (18+) | Legal/Regulated | State law permits advance deposit wagering; multiple ADWs serve Maryland |
Maryland Online Casinos
Online gambling sites are illegal in Maryland.
Maryland law explicitly prohibits online gambling. The state’s constitution and legal code restrict casino operations to licensed physical casinos and racetrack facilities.
Why Online Casinos Are Prohibited in Maryland
MD Criminal Law Code § 12-101 prohibits the operation of any “game or device at which money or any other thing or consideration of value is bet, wagered, or gambled.”
Maryland regulators consider this definition to include gambling platforms that offer casino-style games, such as real-money slots online.
Therefore, the Maryland State Lottery & Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) does not regulate or issue licenses to online casinos.
Legalization Outlook
Maryland’s constitutional requirement under Article XIX creates a high barrier for legalization because it requires any expansion of commercial gambling to receive voter approval in a statewide referendum.
Nonetheless, the Maryland legislature has made significant efforts to legalize online casinos.
Bills proposed in 2024 (SB 603, SB 565, and HB 1319) would have placed a referendum on the November ballot for voters to decide on the legalization of online casinos.
Proponents argued that legal Maryland online gambling platforms would generate substantial tax revenue (upwards of $300 million annually, according to some estimates).
Despite initial momentum, the effort failed due to concerns raised by casino workers’ unions about potential job losses and by some lawmakers about the societal impact of expanded gambling.
In 2025, lawmakers introduced multiple bills, including HB 17 and SB 340, to legalize online casinos with licensing fees up to $1 million and taxation on revenue.
These proposals aimed to generate additional state revenue for education and problem gambling programs but failed to advance beyond committee stages due to concerns over market saturation, job losses, and problem gambling.
The outlook for Maryland online casinos remains uncertain because any future bills would likely need to overcome similar hurdles before even reaching a statewide referendum, which would also have an uncertain outcome.
Sweepstakes Casinos in Maryland
Sweepstakes casinos operate in a legal gray area in Maryland.
Sweepstakes gambling sites employ business models designed to leverage state and federal sweepstakes laws to avoid classification as illegal online gambling in Maryland.
Although sweepstakes casinos technically comply with state law, gambling regulators see it differently. The MLGCA has issued cease-and-desist letters to operators like VGW (owner of Chumba Casino), ordering them to exit the state.
However, MLGCA officials have acknowledged that they lack enforcement authority, so there’s not much they can do other than issue cease-and-desist orders to operators.
Some operators (including Stake.us, Mega Bonanza, and McLuck Casino) have exited the Maryland market, but many remain active in Maryland, including these prominent brands:
There are several things players should keep in mind before using sweepstakes casinos in Maryland:
- They are unregulated, meaning players have no recourse in the event of a dispute.
- Sweepstakes casinos rely entirely on internal policies to address critical safety concerns, such as game integrity, privacy, and financial management. Therefore, players should stick with recognized brands exclusively.
- They face future regulatory actions and potential statewide bans.
Maryland lawmakers considered SB 860 in 2025 to prohibit sweepstakes casinos outright, but the bill died in committee before becoming law. Regulators are currently unable to stop Maryland sweepstakes casinos, but their stance is clear: they want them gone, one way or another.
Maryland Online Poker
Online poker is illegal in Maryland.
State gambling laws classify poker as a game of chance when played for money, and MD Criminal Law Code § 12-102 prohibits unauthorized wagering on card games, regardless of venue.
As a result, no licensed operators offer real-money online poker in Maryland, and residents risk legal issues by using offshore poker sites, which also lack protections against fraud or unfair play.
Currently, sweepstakes poker sites are the closest alternative to real-money online poker in Maryland.
Legislative attempts in 2025 mirrored those for online casinos, with bills like Senate Bill 603 from prior years including poker in potential online gambling expansion efforts.
These efforts, which envisioned multi-state poker pools, failed due to constitutional hurdles requiring voter approval and concerns over revenue impacts on land-based casinos.
Maryland Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting is legal and regulated in Maryland for customers who are 21 or older and physically present within state lines.
The Maryland online sports betting market officially launched in November 2022, following a statewide voter referendum in November 2020 and the passage of HB 940 in 2021.
Today, the Maryland sports betting market is one of the nation’s most competitive, with up to 60 licenses available to qualified operators. Nearly every major sportsbook brand is legal and operational in Maryland, including:
- BetMGM Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- Caesars Online Sportsbook
- ESPN Bet
- DraftKings Sportsbook
Maryland law permits wagering on a broad spectrum of professional and collegiate sporting events. However, Maryland law prohibits betting on the performance of individual collegiate athletes.
State regulations also prohibit wagering on high school sports, non-sporting events like the Academy Awards, and events where the majority of participants are minors.
Additionally, state law requires all online sportsbooks to provide specific responsible gambling tools, such as deposit limits, time limits, and self-exclusion options.
Maryland Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports apps are legal in Maryland and may serve customers who are at least 18 years of age.
Maryland became one of the first states to formally legalize fantasy sports when it passed HB 7 in 2012. The bill exempted fantasy sports contests from state gambling prohibitions and granted the Comptroller regulatory authority.
However, it was unclear if the Comptroller’s authority extended to daily fantasy sports since the 2012 bill focused on traditional season-long contests played in person.
Maryland settled the matter permanently in 2021 by including DFS-specific regulations in the law that legalized online sports betting.
Fantasy Pick’em Contests in Maryland
Parlay-style fantasy pick’em contests are illegal in Maryland.
Maryland DFS regulations prohibit player-vs-house games, as COMAR 36.09.01.02 B(3)(vii) includes this in its definition of compliant DFS contests:
“Fantasy competition players compete against other fantasy competition players and not the operator.”
For a period, it was unclear if peer-to-peer fantasy pick’em contests, which have received regulatory approval in some states, were legal in Maryland.
However, the MLGCA indicated its stance in 2023 when it ordered DraftKings to cease offering its peer-to-peer Pick 6 contest type in Maryland.
Additional regulations adopted in 2024 explicitly prohibit pick’em contests by name and closed the door on peer-to-peer variants.
Maryland Online Lottery Sales
Online lottery sales are prohibited in Maryland.
The official MD Lottery app allows users to check winning numbers, view Keno and Racetrax drawings, and scan physical tickets into the My Lottery Rewards program. However, it does not provide a mechanism to play the lottery online.
Players can use the official MD Lottery website to initiate subscriptions for Mega Millions, Powerball, Multi-Match, and Cash4Life, but the process is not entirely online. Instead, players must print an order form and mail it, along with a check or money order (no cash accepted), to the Maryland Lottery for payment.
Third-party lottery couriers like Jackpocket and TheLotter do not operate in Maryland, so the only way to buy individual tickets is in person at authorized retailers.
Online Horse Racing Betting in Maryland
Online horse racing betting (advance deposit wagering) is legal and regulated in Maryland.
Maryland law explicitly authorizes online horse racing wagering through advance deposit wagering websites and apps (ADWs). The Maryland Racing Commission licenses and regulates ADWs to ensure consumer protection, fair wagering standards, and ongoing compliance with all applicable regulations.
Prominent operators such as TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing, and DK Horse are licensed in Maryland and offer wagering on races held worldwide, including local tracks like Laurel Park and Pimlico.
Players must be at least 18 years old and physically located within Maryland state lines to bet on horse races online. Maryland has a straightforward regulatory environment that clearly outlines operational standards, advertising rules, and financial oversight for ADWs.
The Maryland Racing Commission actively monitors pari-mutuel wagering operators for compliance and promptly addresses disputes and concerns.
Maryland’s thoroughbred and harness racing industries are significant beneficiaries of advance deposit wagering. Revenue from legal ADWs supports racetrack operations, prize pools, and breeding incentives, which are critical to sustaining the state’s historic horse racing tradition.
Maryland Gambling Regulators
Several state agencies regulate online gambling, lottery sales, and horse racing betting in Maryland:
- Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA): The primary regulator for the state lottery, land-based casinos, sports wagering, and daily fantasy sports. The MLGCA ensures the integrity of all legal Maryland online gambling operations.
- Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC): Responsible for reviewing and awarding sports wagering licenses to ensure the state’s goals for a competitive and diverse market are met.
- Maryland Racing Commission (MRC): Oversees horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering, and advance deposit wagering.
Responsible Gambling Resources in Maryland
Maryland provides numerous free, confidential resources for individuals who may be struggling with problem gambling in addition to a statewide self-exclusion program.
Maryland Self-Exclusion Resources
- Statewide Voluntary Exclusion Program: Covers casinos, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, lottery participation, and electronic instant bingo halls.
Maryland Responsible Gambling Organizations
- Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling: Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537)
- Maryland Alliance for Responsible Gambling (MARG): Offers education, prevention, and treatment resources.
- Maryland Council on Problem Gambling (MCPG): Provides advocacy, additional helpline services, information on gambling recovery meetings, treatment provider references, and additional information.
- Maryland Coalition of Families – Problem Gambling: References for treatment providers, recovery resources for loved ones of problem gamblers, information, advice, and other services provided confidentially and free regardless of income or insurance. Call 410-730-8267 or email help@mdcoalition.org.