Legal online and retail. Voters approved sports betting in 2020; online books launched in November 2022. Around a dozen apps operate, including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars.
Legal. Maryland has six commercial casinos with slots and table games, and four of them run live poker rooms — including Live! Casino and the WSOP-branded room at Horseshoe Baltimore.
Legal and regulated. Traditional draft-style contests are fine, but Maryland treats prop-style ‘pick’em’ games as sports betting — so some operators pulled those products.
Legal, including online advance-deposit wagering. Maryland is home to the Preakness Stakes; apps like TwinSpires and FanDuel Racing accept residents 18+.
Legal and state-run since 1973. Note: Maryland does not sell lottery tickets online — only mail-in subscriptions for draw games are available, not true online purchases.
Grey area. Sweepstakes and social casinos still operate in Maryland, but lawmakers have pushed repeatedly to ban them — a Senate bill passed 47-0 in 2025, and new ban bills returned in 2026.
Not legal. Despite three straight years of bills — including a 2024 measure that passed the House — Maryland has repeatedly declined to legalize online casino. Offshore sites operate in a grey area.
Not legal online — though live poker is legal at four Maryland casinos. A 2026 bill to legalize online poker and join a multi-state network was withdrawn. Offshore sites serve residents in a grey area.
Bills to legalize online casino (SB 885) and online poker with multi-state play (SB 884) both died in the 2026 session — the third straight year Maryland lawmakers declined to expand online gambling.
Maryland raised its online sports-betting tax from 15% to 20% to help close a budget gap. A separate bill to ban sweepstakes casinos passed the Senate 47-0 but stalled in the House.
A bill to send online casino to a voter referendum passed the House 92-43 but died in the Senate, amid casino-worker job-loss and revenue-cannibalization concerns.
Mobile sportsbooks went live on November 23, 2022, roughly a year after retail betting began.
The first retail sportsbooks opened at Maryland casinos in December 2021, following the 2021 enabling law signed by Governor Hogan.
Ballot Question 2 passed with about 66% of the vote, carrying all 23 counties and Baltimore City.
A 2008 referendum authorized casinos (slots); a 2012 referendum (Question 7) added table games and a sixth license, paving the way for MGM National Harbor.
Maryland is a partial market with a twist: you can play casino games and real live poker here — just not online. The state has six commercial casinos and four live poker rooms, but online casino and online poker remain illegal, and lawmakers have turned them down three years in a row.
It’s not for lack of trying. A 2024 bill to put online casino on the ballot passed the House before dying in the Senate; 2025 and 2026 brought fresh bills for online casino, online poker, and even a multi-state poker network — all failed. The opposition is unusually strong: casino-worker unions fear job losses, operators worry about cannibalizing their brick-and-mortar floors, and polls have shown most Marylanders opposed. Because Maryland’s constitution requires a voter referendum to expand gambling, any future law also has to clear the ballot box. Neighboring West Virginia and Pennsylvania both run full online casinos; Maryland has pointedly held back. Like Virginia and Ohio, it legalized sports betting but drew the line there.
So Marylanders who want to play online casino games or poker do so at offshore sites like Ignition, Bovada, and ACR Poker, which operate in a grey area with no Maryland oversight. Players who prefer a regulated venue simply visit one of the state’s casinos — the live poker rooms at Live! Casino, Horseshoe Baltimore, and MGM National Harbor are among the largest on the East Coast. States like Michigan went the other way, running full-scale online casinos.
The practical reality: For legal play, Maryland has real options — regulated sportsbooks and six casinos with live poker. For online casino games and online poker there’s no legal route, so residents either drive to a casino or use established offshore sites with crypto payouts.
Maryland has legal, regulated online sports betting and six casinos with live poker — but no legal online casino or online poker. For sports, use the licensed apps; for casino games and poker, play in person or (online) offshore only.
We have affiliate agreements with all sites listed. Commission does not affect scores. Read our affiliate disclaimer →
Solid all-rounder — poker + sports + casino with the best card deposit rates
Strong casino library with 500+ games, fast crypto, but no poker room
Good casino, no poker — best for slots and blackjack variety
Solid all-rounder — poker + sports + casino with the best card deposit rates
Subscription sweepstakes poker from the official WPT — novel legal structure, thin games.
Solid all-rounder — poker + sports + casino with the best card deposit rates
The biggest regulated US name with casino, poker, and sportsbook under one login.
Polished app and strong brand, but thin video poker, no 24/7 support, and state-variable game counts hold it back from the top tier.
1x playthrough on the welcome bonus is genuinely rare and iRush Rewards is transparent — but the ~400-game library is small and player-reported support issues drag the experience down.
Slickest casino app in US regulated gaming on the surface — but Trustpilot sits at 1.2/5 on consistent complaints about slow withdrawals, poor support, and bet-grading disputes.
Maryland has a mature land-based casino industry: six commercial casinos, all state-licensed. There are no tribal casinos — Maryland has no federally recognized gaming tribes.
The industry was built by two referendums: voters authorized slot machines in 2008, then added table games in 2012. The result is a strong casino sector anchored by MGM National Harbor and Live! Casino & Hotel, two of the biggest properties on the East Coast.
For poker players, this is what sets Maryland apart from most no-online-poker states: live poker is legal and widely available. Four casinos run poker rooms — Live! Casino (50+ tables), the WSOP-branded room at Horseshoe Baltimore, MGM National Harbor, and Hollywood Perryville — so residents can play regulated live poker even though the online game isn’t offered.
The MLGCA licenses and oversees Maryland's sportsbooks and casinos, with responsible-gaming rules and a statewide Voluntary Exclusion Program.
DFS is regulated by the MLGCA and online horse-race wagering by the Maryland Racing Commission. Consumer protections apply to these licensed products.
No Maryland protection. Offshore casino and poker sites are unlicensed here — no fund segregation, no dispute recourse. If an offshore site refuses to pay, you have no recourse.
Our guidance: For sports betting, use the MLGCA-licensed apps. For casino games and poker, Maryland’s six casinos offer regulated in-person play, including live poker. Online casino and poker aren’t legal — if you play offshore, stick to established operators with 5+ year track records and crypto payouts. Maryland does not prosecute individual players.
If gambling stops being fun — or you're chasing losses — free, confidential help is available 24/7. Maryland's problem-gambling helpline connects residents to treatment and support.
Primary sources cited throughout this guide.
