Maryland Gambling Laws – Types and Regulations

Casino gambling in Maryland is legal since 2008, and it is one of the few states on the East Coast where it was recently legalized. However, it is strictly regulated, and there are only a few forms of gambling which you can practice legally as a resident or as a visitor of the state. We will tell you more about these Maryland gambling laws, and we will also include a couple of top recommendations which you should put high on your agenda, so stay tuned!

It is always a nice touch to know the details before playing for real money or even before thinking about whether you can do it legally or not. That’s why you should check out this blog post in advance. We included the most important details about everything from the Maryland online gambling laws to the legal gambling age. The next boxes will take you directly to the topics that are most interesting to you, however, we recommend reading the entire page.

List with Different Maryland Gambling Laws

Let’s get started from the list of the different Maryland gambling laws, which will help you out in the endeavor to decide whether playing in an MD casino resort is legal or not. Long story short, there wouldn’t be any huge casino resorts if they were illegal, but if you are interested to learn why: the next list will show you the applicable gambling laws and their most important specifications.

It is a nice touch to see that Marylanders support the sports betting initiatives and they voted in a 2020 statewide referendum to legalize this type of gambling. It is also important to know that the land-based casinos are very popular in the big cities, and they offer a perfect Atlantic City-style gaming experience, as well as top-notch accommodations and amenities at once. These major land-based casino complexes are six and they were built between 2010 and 2016. We will tell you more about them in a little bit, but first, check out some important moments from the history of the gambling laws in Maryland.

Short History of the Legal Gambling Situation in MD

Maryland has a long history with its gambling laws. Some of the greatest horse races took place in Pimlico Race Course as early as the middle of 18th century! The state is also famous for the Maryland Jockey Club which was established in 1743 while in 1972 the lotteries were approved. The horse race betting facilities became very popular among the local bettors, while the opportunities to place a wager on your favorite sport kicked up a notch the development of this sector. The state even approved off-track sports betting in the late 20th century, while November 2008 was the pivot point for the land-based casinos.

Then, a statewide constitutional referendum was held to legalize casino gambling. Nowadays, there are 15 casinos and pari-mutuel betting facilities in 11 cities in the state, including “Maryland Live!” being the largest one which opened in 2012. Nowadays, there are also sports betting apps that are legal, as well as lotteries, bingo, and many other legal forms of gambling. Even fantasy sports are excluded by the federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, so there are a couple of DFS sites that are very popular in Maryland.

Maryland Online Gambling Laws

In general, you cannot play legally at online Maryland casino sites at the moment. All kinds of online gambling that originate from the state are forbidden by the Maryland office of the Department of Justice. Of course, there are a couple of exceptions. Online horse race betting is legal on mobile apps and registered gambling sites, while the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act excludes fantasy sports from the ban of online games. That being said, as of 2012, you can find some of the best online US casinos available for Marylanders as well, including a variety of top DFS sites like DraftKings and BetMGM.

Well, if you want to play your favorite casino games online, you can still do it at international sites. The Maryland online gambling laws do not allow this type of gambling, but only if the site is hosted in the state. If you have a bank account or an address in another country, then you can safely register at the best offshore casino sites like Unibet, for example. It is up to you to read the terms of your favorite site carefully. Just make sure that it is an international online casino, because, the Maryland laws on online gambling currently prohibit this type of gambling. Hopefully, we will see a more positive agenda regarding the Maryland online gambling laws shortly, just like in the MD sports betting sector.

Maryland Skill Based Gambling Laws

The legal situation with skill-based games is much more pleasant. After a statewide referendum in 2008, the gambling venues for skill-based games were approved, and throughout only six years (from 2010 to 2016), six of Maryland’s biggest brick-and-mortar casinos where built. It comes to huge gambling resorts that offer a fantastic Atlantic City-style gambling experience to their guests.

Nowadays, Maryland has 15 gambling venues located in 11 big cities, while only Baltimore has 4 casinos. The choice of gaming machines is quite huge as well. The total number of slot machines in all these venues is nearly 12,000, while the number of table games is about 500! We will tell you a little bit more about them at the end of this blog post, where we will include some recommendations with top Maryland casinos. These casinos are regulated by the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, which is responsible for the regulation of the operation of video lottery terminals (slot machines), as well as table games, and lottery games in the state.

Maryland Gambling Age Laws

The Maryland gambling laws about the minimum legal age to play casino games are a little bit complicated. In other words, the two legal ages depend on the type of game that you want to play. For instance, the Maryland gambling age laws permit gamblers of 21 years or older if they want to play at land-based casino venues. For charitable gaming, lotteries and horse racing, the gamblers from Maryland must be at the age of 18 or older.

These minimum legal gambling thresholds are defined by numerous Maryland gambling laws, mainly the Maryland Code, Criminal Law, Title 12, Subtitle 1, Section 1-102. Also, the Maryland Business Regulations, Title 11, Subtitle 1, Section 11-101 and Title 10, Subtitle 5, Section 10-502 play a major role in the regulation of the legal gambling age in the state. If you choose to play at an international (offshore) casino site, then you should also comply with the minimum legal age for playing at the site and you should play responsibly in the first place!

Maryland Sports Bracket Gambling Laws

It was only late last year when the Maryland sports bracket gambling laws acquired a new approach in the legalization of sports betting in the state. Sports betting and, more precisely horse racing, has a long historical background in the state. It began in the middle of the 18th century when the first races were held at the Pimlico Race Course. This type of gambling was banned for a long time as well, but after a referendum in November 2020, Marylanders voted to legalize sports betting at stadiums and casinos.

The Maryland sports bracket gambling laws will have a more favorable agenda in the future and, hopefully, we will see various types of sports at which you can place your bets legally in the state. On the other hand, horse racing was always legal and it is a major pastime for many Marylanders. The Maryland Racing Commission is the institution responsible for the regulation and for the licensing of all “persons, associations or corporations that hold any horse racing meet within the state where racing is permitted for any stake, purse, or reward”.

New Gambling Laws Maryland

Without a doubt, the sports betting sector in the state acquired the latest Maryland gambling laws. This is the last of the Mid-Atlantic states to legalize sports betting, so the newest and latest gambling laws are maybe created while you are reading this blog post. If we put that aside, then maybe the most significant change in the Maryland gambling laws was in 2008 when the land-based casinos were legalized. Nowadays, only about a dozen years later, you can find over a dozen casino venues in Maryland, including resorts, hotels, pari-mutuel facilities and others.

Baltimore is your top destination if you want to challenge your luck, but please keep in mind that you should be at the age of 21 or older according to the Maryland gambling age laws, to be able to play in a casino. If you are, then take a look at the next section with top casino recommendations that comply with the Maryland gambling laws.

Top Gambling Recommendations in Maryland

Maryland has a total of 15 casinos and pari-mutuel facilities at your disposal which are spread out across 11 cities throughout the state. The city with the most gambling venues is Baltimore with 4 huge casinos. The other main gambling centers are Allegany County, Cecil County, Anne Arundel County, Worcester County and Prince George’s County. Another major attraction in many of these gambling resorts is that they operate special poker rooms, transforming this game into a very popular pastime among the Marylanders. Check out the next table where you will find recommendations and some details of the most famous legal Maryland casinos to play in 2024.

So, take a pick of a casino and go enjoy your favorite games! The gambling laws in Maryland allow these huge casino venues to operate since 2008, so you can enjoy a fair, safe and, most importantly, legal gambling experience. Perhaps, we will be able to see more sports betting facilities in the casino resorts soon, thanks to the newest Maryland sports bracket gambling laws from last year.

Want to Learn More: Read the FAQ

This blog post about the Maryland gambling laws is at the end, and we hope that you learned the most important details today. However, here is a short FAQ section about these gambling laws in Maryland which we also highly recommend to you!

Similar Articles

Gambling Laws in Kenya30 Aug 2022

Child Gambling Laws18 Aug 2022

Europe Gambling Laws6 Aug 2022