Although Maryland was considered one of the most likely online casino gambling destinations, it has subsequently stalled in the legislature and won’t be considered again until 2026, which means the earliest launch would come at some point the following year.
No Dice
Initially, the prospects for getting iGaming passed in the Old Line State appeared good with Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary witnessing her online casino bill, HB 1319, pass by an easy margin of 92-43 in the House. But that is where the momentum peaked because as soon as it went to the Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee the bill hit a brick wall.
Delegate Atterbeary made a convincing argument to her colleagues in the House, highlighting that people in Maryland were already engaged in digital casino gambling but the sites they are patronizing are offshore operators that do not pay taxes and are not regulated by Maryland law. She reiterated that to the Senate Committee as well.
“We already have iGaming going on in the state of Maryland,” Atterbeary told the committee. “It is illegal. You have folks going on their phones or their computers and doing iGaming with somebody in Curaçao or somewhere far away, not here in the state of Maryland. It is incumbent on us to capture that market and regulate it.”
Maryland State Senator Ron Watson, speaking at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) conference last week, was asked about the future of iGaming in Maryland. He alluded to a lack of cohesion in getting the legislation across the finish line.
“The legislator literally is just the quarterback,” Watson said to fellow legislators from states across the nation. “All we do is introduce the bill, but you need a whole team behind this type of legislation, and I’m suggesting a marketing team to really make this thing happen.”
What’s the Problem?
One of the primary obstacles in getting the state senators to move on the bill was opposition by the union chiefs who represent hotel and casino employees, believing that mobile slots and table games could cannibalize those jobs and hurt the brick-and-mortar casino industry. Their concerns were made well known to Maryland lawmakers, many of whom count on the support of the unions to get elected.
“Material was put under all the legislators’ doors each and every day leading up to the vote to ‘not take our jobs.’ It was on television. They had a campaign,” Senator Watson said. “They had a campaign, and they were willing to put money behind this campaign to fight this initiative.”
“Don’t try to convince an 80-year-old legislator who doesn’t know what Twitter and Facebook and Instagram is about iGaming,” Watson added. “You can’t do that.”
Of the seven states that have approved and launched online casino gambling, four have multiple operators including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan while Connecticut licenses only two operators. Delaware and Rhode Island have only one operator in their respective states.
Atterbeary’s bill summary is written as follows: “Authorizing the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission to issue certain licenses to certain qualified applicants to conduct or participate in certain Internet gaming operations in the State…” which would imply multiple iGaming providers would operate in Maryland.
Watson has already made it clear there will be no renewed push for iGaming next year but a focused campaign to get it on the ballot for voters to have their say in 2026 could bring that lucrative revenue stream to Maryland in 2027.
