Maryland Gambling Information
FAQ / Q&A -- History -- Regulation -- Land Based Casinos -- Fun Facts
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Maryland Online Casinos & Real Money Slots
Online gambling is legal in Maryland, but that doesn’t include online casinos. All reputable online casinos do not allow players from Maryland to join them.
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Regulation and legality of online gambling
Even though it’s one of the more liberal states when it comes to games of chance, Maryland hasn’t invested enough effort into creating a legal iGaming infrastructure. However, things are probably going to change soon.
Experts believe so, mostly because Maryland was once amongst the most conservative states in the entire country, gambling-wise. This all changed because of a groundbreaking vote in 2008, where citizens of the Free State voted to allow slot machines, table games, and other activities at land-based venues.
Today, Marylanders can choose from six brick and mortar casinos, which is a lot for a state of its size. As for legal online gambling, pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog races and DFS are the only forms available. While it doesn’t seem like much, this is a great legal foundation for future expansions of the legislation.
And by all accounts, it seems like changes are imminent. In 2017, Maryland voted that it would legalize sports betting if the federal ban were ever repealed. That’s precisely what happened in 2018, and the Senate is currently looking to pass SB58, which would give all racetrack and casino operators to expand their license into a sports betting one.
There have been no indications about the potential legalization of online casinos, but we believe that Maryland is on the right track. If sports betting becomes legal in 2020, casinos will certainly look to collaborate with software providers to expand their offering.
The sections of the criminal code of Maryland that refer to gambling fail to address internet gambling directly. This makes it difficult to deduce whether playing on offshore sites is unregulated or prohibited. When put into practice, the law never served as a base for illegal gambling charges against online gamblers in the Old Line State.
Placing bets over the internet is presumed illegal just because it is not explicitly legalized. However, it would take a proper word of the law to prove it. The internet is a relatively new technology and many US states still abide by laws that were composed a long time ago. It is suspected that that is not the only reason why Maryland lawmakers haven’t addressed internet casinos yet. The fact that Maryland land-based casinos generate massive revenues, online competition could affect them.
Gambling history in Maryland
One of the original 13 colonies, Maryland was practically built on gambling revenue. Money was needed in the early days, and quickly, to build infrastructure, so colonial governments and private industries produced raffles and lottery-style games to collect funds to build both industrial parks and schools.
This was the first wave of gambling in Maryland sometime in the late 1700s; charitable lotteries were then banned. The second wave was marked by slot machines. Americans could find legal one-armed bandits in the Old Line State from 1947 to 1968. Maryland earned the label ‘Little Vegas’ in the 1950s due to extensive slot play in the state. The counties had the power to control the old mechanical lever-pull machines, and you could find them in every store, gas station and mall. Slots were then banned in Maryland in 1963. Some swinging backward and forward between prohibition and legislation can be noted in these past periods.
The gambling action slowed down in the 19th and 20th centuries, but in the last 15 years or so, Maryland has created one of the most gambling-friendly environments in the United States. Slot and video poker machines were legalized in 2008. In 2010, the residents of the Old Line State were given a referendum on introducing casinos. It passed, and the first Maryland casinos opened their doors in 2012.
Table games were soon added and it’s safe to say that several Maryland brick and mortar casinos are currently enjoying a boom. Horse race betting has been [present in the state since 1920 and people from Maryland enjoy wagering on the ponies at least two top quality racetracks. The state lottery was established in 1972 and the ticket sales launched the following year.
The State of Maryland boasts 6 brick and mortar casinos. All of them opened fairly recently, with the Hollywood Casino Perryville to be the first to open in 2010, and MGM National Harbor in 2017. Maryland casinos offer slots, video poker and various table games. Live poker rooms are extremely popular.
Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover earns the most revenue. It opened in two phases. Phase I (3,200 slot machines and electronic table games) launched in June 2012, and Phase II (1,550 additional machines) was added in September of the same year. The latest additions are a two-story poker room, which went live in 2013, and a 310-room hotel and conference center which opened in 2018. In total, Live! Casino & Hotel offers nearly 4,200 gaming machines and over 200 tables.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and MGM National Harbor are also notable venues. Horseshoe Casino is the second largest casino in Maryland. It is an urban casino facility built on two stories, covering 122,000 square feet of gaming space.
Horseshoe holds a 24-7 liquor license, offers over 2,200 slot and video poker machines, more than 170 gambling tables, and it also features premier restaurants, lounges, bars and food outlets. MGM National Harbor is located in Oxon Hill, only 10 miles from Washington, D.C. The casino itself features over 3,000 video gaming machines and more than 160 tables, but the resort also includes a 23-story hotel with 308 rooms, a spa, seven restaurants, a theater, retail shops and a parking garage.
The remaining land-based casinos in Maryland are Ocean Downs in Berlin (live horse racing, 800 slots), Hollywood Casino Perryville (850 slot machines, more than 20 table games), and Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Flintstone (over 600 slots and over a dozen tables).
Neighbouring States: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
At what age can I legally gamble online in Maryland?
21. This is relatively easy to conclude, as all casinos within state lines only allow those 21 and over to enter their premises. Pari-mutuel wagering is open to 18-year-olds, but since land-based casinos and online ones have the same age limit, we’re going to go with 21.
Be safe and don’t risk anything if you’re not 21. Maryland law enforcement doesn’t take likely to underage gambling.
What games are available at Maryland casino sites?
Because you have thousands of offshore sites at your disposal, you’re in no way or shape limited when it comes to games. Various casino sites source their games from a number of different software providers, which results in a very diverse market.
Even though this width of choice can be enticing, it’s also confusing at times. Make sure you know what you’re looking for and use every site’s search function. Research leads to fun later on.
Will I be able to play live dealer games, too?
Yes, of course. Maryland online casinos accommodate a large number of live casino-exclusive players. Going to a brick and mortar venue can be a hassle, so live dealer titles are the next best thing. NetEnt, Playtech, and various other companies offer games that can be played in Maryland.
What payment platforms are available at Maryland online casinos?
Most online casinos in Maryland offer all the standard options that are used throughout the US. Visa, AmEx, and MasterCard reign supreme. However, this is not because they’re secure or efficient. It’s just that everyone and their dog have a card of some sort, so making a deposit is almost hassle-free.
eWallets are another great alternative, mainly due to their speed and the fact that you won’t have to share your credit card details with anyone. You have to connect a bank account/card in order to finance your balance.
Cryptos are another interesting option because of the anonymity they provide. Bitcoin transactions, and those in other currencies, cannot be compromised or duplicated. It’s a fool-proof system.
How fast can I expect to be paid by casino sites in Maryland?
This mostly depends on the payment option you’ve chosen. Wire transfers can be instant, but only if the casino has an account in the same bank you do. If they have on in a foreign bank, the wait could be up to seven business days.
Credit and debit cards are a bit fast, with five business days being the maximum waiting period. eWallets, on the other hand, allow for instant transfers. While you can choose to wait more and deposit the money to your card, you can still shop online via your PayPal account.
Cryptos are fast too, with the worst-case scenario being a 60-minute wait. It is believed that they will also become instant in the near future.
Fun facts about Maryland
- Maryland takes its British noble roots seriously. Members of the Court of Appeals are called judges and not justices like in other states, and they wear red robes only in Maryland.
- A lot of firsts for the United States happened in Maryland. The country’s first railroad station was established in 1830, the first umbrella factory was built in 1828, the first telegraph line went operational in 1844 and the first dental school opened in 1840.
- Mooning is considered a form of artistic expression in Maryland since 2006, and it is protected by the United States constitutional right of freedom of speech.
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