Maryland Gambling Laws

All gambling activities in this state are monitored by the Maryland Gaming Control Board and the adversary agency. In this article, we have added information on getting a permit, licence fees, and the penalties for illegal gambling establishments. You can also find information about the legal gambling age in Maryland and even the most common gambling law violations performed by players.

At the beginning of our article, you can find information about the USA federal gambling laws and the gambling bills in Maryland state. Later on, you can find a list of all land-based casinos in the state and the legal games. Finally, we also added information on the online gaming status and games in the Old Line State. So please read on, and don’t forget to check the answers to the most popular questions our readers ask regarding Maryland’s gambling legislation.

Maryland Gambling Laws & USA Gambling Legislation

Browsing through the gambling laws by country, you will notice that every country has regulations on wagering and betting in any manner, the games you can bet on, and the prizes players can receive. The Old Line State gambling laws are strict when it comes to gambling establishments.

In this section of the article, we will focus on the topic of the legality of the gambling locations in Maryland, USA. You may also find information concerning players like the legal gambling age in Maryland, the need to pay taxes after winning, and what penalties are predicted to violate the gambling laws.

Maryland Laws vs USA Gambling Legislation

Before we go into details about Maryland casino table games and other gambling products. Like the rest of the states in the USA, Maryland is free to legalise or ban gambling and decide the Maryland online gambling laws. Despite this freedom, the decisions and state bills can’t overrule the Federal legislation. In the table, you can find the gambling laws in Maryland:

As you can see, the highest authority when it comes to casino gaming in the USA holds the federal laws and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. However, when it comes to Maryland state, the legislation can be found in the Maryland Criminal Code (Maryland Code). This is the main law applied by the governing body in this state, the Maryland Code State Government, regarding legalising games, issuing permits, and regulating gambling locations.

Currently, there is no online gambling in Maryland of any kind, but the top online casinos in the USA for 2021 gain lots of momentum. The Maryland’s Online Gambling Bill and other discussed changes in the legal code are in discussion and soon online gambling may be allowed in this state. Part of the changes will legalise online gambling in the state and allowing the local casinos to create their online versions. We will tell you more about that in the online casino section in this article.

Maryland State Lottery & Gaming Control Agency

In our gambling age around the world article, you can see examples of the different laws worldwide regarding the players’ gambling age. This main rule of players over the age of 21 is also part of the gambling legislation in Maryland, USA. Here, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC), within the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA), monitors the legal activity of players and operators.

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission is the organ which issues licenses and gambling permits to the establishments in the state. It is expected that after the legislation changes, it will also take the responsibility of regulating some of the best online gambling sites for US players, which will be accessible in Maryland. In addition, the commission is responsible for regulating slots, table games, horse races, lotteries, and more. Here are the commission board members:

After the Maryland Gaming Control Board issues a gambling permit, the advisory Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) performs the subsequent regulatory process. The agency is responsible for conducting regular background and financial checks of existing and potential facility licensees. In addition, the Maryland Gaming Control Agency works in conjunction with other appropriate agencies when it comes to charitable gambling and other gaming activities.

Maryland Gambling & Casino Permits

At the Maryland gambling regulations of legal or illegal games you will not find examples of crazy bets known in the history. The MLGCC and MLGCA are serious about gaming and gambling of any kind and they perform detailed check on every establishment which applies for a permit.

Learning how to open a casino and knowing the gambling in Maryland laws is essential before applying for a license or investing in gaming equipment. In the Maryland Code State Government § 9-1A-01 et. seq., you can find the regulatory framework for Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) and table games. Depending on the legal games in Maryland the operator wishes to offer, there are three types of licences:

Anyone who intends to take part in the gambling industry of the Old Line State is obligated to have the necessary permits. For example, the “Supplier License” is for the manufacturers, distributors, and resellers. Upon receiving the permit, application, and license fees range between $1000 to $10,000. The permit expires within five years and can be renewed with a $5000 fee.

Besides this, the commission approves games machines and equipment and supervises the shipment of the equipment. Furthermore, outside gaming, the operators must provide an anti-money laundering environment and follow the Federal compliance requirements. Besides this, a rule prohibits people with gambling or video lottery facilities to make political contributions in state elections.

Maryland’s Gambling Taxes for Operators

The Maryland gambling laws not only regulate the casino table games and determine the rules for permits. They monitor, collect, and distribute the revenue and tax rates operators pay the state. The slot machine, lottery machines, and table games taxes have different rates. A large part of the taxes is distributed to local organisations like Maryland’s Education Trust Fund to improve the community and people’s lives.

Legal Games in Maryland, USA

Every gambling in the Old Wild West problem used to be solved by the saloon keeper by throwing out the cheaters (usually after a heavy beating). After this point, the local sheriff dealt with the offenders if they continue to cause trouble. Such practices from the past are now obsolete with the Federal and Maryland gambling laws coming into power.

Legal Gambling Games in Maryland

The legal games in the Old Line State include slots, lottery, table games, races, bingo (charity games), and daily fantasy games and more. Anyone at legal age is allowed to participate in skill games for real money or games of luck.

Even though the lottery is most accessible, the casino card games draw the attention of players with their excitement and payouts. That is why there are many tournaments for the Maryland casino table games in the state’s land-based casinos. In the gaming rooms, players can try multiple versions of:

Maryland poker games and tournaments draw attention to the six state casinos. The multiple tables offer the most popular variations of this centuries-old game, but most favoured by players are the No-Limit Hold’em tables. Maryland Live! The casino is one of the World Poker Tour stops. While there are still no online casinos, in 2016, the home poker games were legalised according to the gambling in Maryland laws.

Maryland has an important role in the history of sports betting laws in the USA. This state is the home of races like Triple Crown and the Preakness since 1873 and the racetracks Pimlico Racecourse (Baltimore), Rosecroft Raceway (Fort Washington), Laurel Park (Laurel), and the Timonium Racetrack (Lutherville-Timonium). Despite the multiple horse races, remember that Greyhound races and other animal races are illegal.

Maryland Legal Casinos Regulations – Land-Based and Online

Maryland gambling laws cover every aspect of the activity of players and operators. You can even find tips on dealing with gambling addiction and psychology of gambling. All operators of land-based and online casinos have their policy on the matter and, in the late years, are ready to help players fight the addiction. This is one extra touch towards providing a full gambling experience.

Maryland’s Legal Land-Based Casinos

A day after your 21st birthday, you can enter any of the six legal Maryland casinos and start playing for real money. The gambling age in Maryland, moderation in alcohol consumption, keeping the good tone, and fair play are essential rules for every player who wishes to enjoy the Maryland casino experience. Unfortunately, those rules are monitored only by the state and federal agencies because there are no Native American casinos in the Old Line State.

Gambling leaves a great economic and tax impact in Maryland with gross gaming revenue of $1.23 billion (2020). The local operators are absolutely comparable to the largest casinos in the world when it comes to comfort, entertainment, and gaming experience. The state’s largest casino, Live! Casino & Hotel and the second-largest Horseshoe Casino are preferred locations by many pro-gamblers and enthusiasts.

As you can see, the Maryland Gaming Control Board regulates one of the best USA casinos not in Vegas – MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill. Besides the top casinos listed in the table above, you can also try the smaller gambling rooms like Delta Bingo and Gaming Laurel (Laurel) with 103 slots and Delta Bingo and Gaming Waysons (Lothanian) with 100 slots. You can also bet on live harness racings at Rose Croft Raceway in Fort Washington, owned by Penn National Gaming.

Maryland Online Gambling Laws & Online Casinos

According to the law, any kind of online gambling in Maryland is illegal. Even so, there are no records of the authorities pursuing players registered at offshore online gambling sites. Therefore, there are no Maryland operators among the best online casinos in the world but you can play at some of the Maryland’s social gaming sites like Live! Social Casino. There, players can enjoy free slots, table games, and a variety of tournaments.

The Maryland’s Online Gambling Bill is yet to be applied for online gaming in this state. Once the law comes into power, bettors will be free to sign up at online sportsbooks without the need to visit the land-based location of the gambling establishment. It is expected over 100 operators, professional sports stadiums, and other facilities to enter the online list.

Maryland’s six casinos prepare online versions equally good as the land-based casino. In addition to this, the state’s major professional sports venues (FedEx Field in Landover, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore) also will join with retail sportsbooks. Other popular brands ready to offer online entertainment to Maryland’s players are 888 Holdings PLC, bet365, DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, William Hill, Parx, Circa Sports, and more.

Maryland’s Penalties for Gambling Violations

Every rule and law come with a list of penalties for various violations. When we speak of gambling and popular casino games, the legislation is strict and has predicted every situation that may occur. Every participant in gaming and gambling can potentially be in violation, and that is why we will give a few examples of the most frequent situations.

Players Gambling Violations

The most popular attempt to break the law is underage players trying to access real money gambling games. To avoid trouble, remember that the gambling age in Maryland is 21 years old. This means that you have the right to enter the gambling floor and participate in games only after your 21st birthday. If you are over 18 years of age, you can participate in bingo, lottery, and pari-mutuel games.

The second thing is failing to report your gambling winnings to IRS and failure to pay your taxes. All winnings over $5000 are fined 8.75% for Maryland residents, and 7.5% for out-of-state residents.

The last type and most popular violations of the gambling laws are cheating attempts of any kind. This stretches from the traditional card counting, rigged gaming chips or ice, cheat codes, tampering with the machines, and more.

In Maryland, gambling is considered a misdemeanour. The convicted felon may face imprisonment from 6 months to 1 year, a fine between $200 and $1,000, or both. Since there are no Maryland online gambling laws regulating local operators, there is no penalty for playing at offshore online casinos.

Maryland Casino Penalties

Knowing that online gambling in Maryland is illegal, it is recommendable that you don’t try to run gambling websites or casinos. This can only get you in trouble, just like operating a land-based gambling facility without a permit. In addition, private lotteries violate both state and federal laws because they divert funds from public lotteries. You may not have noticed, but the best gambling cities in the USA offer many state lottery kiosks and betting sites.

Running an illegal gambling house, money laundering, or rigging the games to bring more profit for the house is a guarantee for jail time and fines. Not to mention that besides Maryland’s laws, the illegal establishments also violate the federal gambling laws of the USA.

Depending on the violation, the prison time can vary from 5 to 25 years, and the fine can go up to $500,000 or twice the amount laundered or illegal funds, whichever is higher. Besides this, illegal online gambling activities can get you banned from all kinds of gambling activities for life.

Maryland Gambling Laws Popular Questions

Learning the Maryland gambling laws is beneficial for players and gambling establishment owners. Our article informed you of the main regulations and points to know when you intend to get a gambling permit. Now, we will answer few popular Maryland gambling law questions.