Maryland Legal Online Gambling For 2021

Maryland residents who are at least 18 years of age can legally participate in pari-mutuel wagering, lotteries, daily fantasy sports (DFS), and charitable gaming such as bingo and raffles.

Players of casino games at MD retail casino venues and racinos must be at least 21 years of age to legally participate. This is also the age of participation for domestic sportsbooks, once those launch in 2021.

If you want access to all markets at just 18 and up, you can legally and safely gamble online with an international operator like those listed on this page.

Regardless of the fact that your winnings would be coming from offshore businesses, you will still need to report all required income categories according to applicable federal and state tax laws.

Maryland does collect a state income tax, which includes income from gambling winnings.

We recommend that you contact a tax professional in Maryland to obtain clarification on the income reporting requirements specific to Maryland’s laws.

It is not a violation of Maryland’s state gambling laws or US federal laws to participate in online gambling that is legally licensed, regulated, and located offshore.

Maryland does not have any laws in place that prohibit their residents from engaging in this type of gambling entertainment.

Maryland’s laws have not legalized state regulated online gambling yet, but they do not expressly outlaw online gambling with international operators like those listed here.

When it comes to online gambling, Maryland is taking a wait-and-see approach as neighboring states roll out their online sports betting (and, in some cases, online casino gambling) markets.

Should MD legalize all forms of online gambling, the potential revenue would surely be beneficial to the state. We suspect online sports betting will be legalized first, with other markets to follow.

The following kinds of gambling are currently legal in MD:

Casino Gambling – There are six regulated commercial casinos in Maryland offering slot machines and table games. However, there are no tribal casinos in Maryland. At this time, games played with dice are not permitted in MD casinos, such as craps. Also prohibited are "thimbles" and "little joker" games. Legal USA Online casinos are available through offshore Internet sites that are licensed, regulated, and located outside of the United States.

Poker – Live poker is available to players through the card rooms located at the state’s commercial casinos. Maryland hosts some impressive poker tournaments, including a $1 million tournament each year. Legal Online poker is accessible to Maryland players through legitimately licensed and regulated online poker sites located offshore (18+).

Sports Betting – sports betting is now legal in Maryland, as a 2020 referendum passed in November (Question 2). The industry should launch by the start of the 2021 NFL season at the latest, and betting is limited to those aged 21 and up. Meanwhile, Maryland residents seeking legal bookmaker services can access one of the recommended legally licensed online sportsbooks that are located and regulated outside of the US, and they only have to be 18 or older to participate.

Pari-mutuel Wagering – Betting on horse races at local racetracks and OTBs is legal in MD, as is wagering simulcast races. Residents seeking an expanded range of pari-mutuel wagering options can visit one of the recommend online sportsbooks in this guide. They are all legally licensed and regulated, and the ones we’ve listed include impressive racebooks with action from tracks all around the world. Our legal US online horse betting guide has more information.

Bingo – Bingo games for real money are legal in Maryland through charitable gaming events, but licenses are required by operators to host these events. If you want to play via mobile, of course, there are several licensed US-friendly online bingo sites that are regulated offshore that accept players from Maryland.

Lottery – The Maryland Lottery offers a variety of games, and it also supports interstate lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions. However, online lotteries are not yet legal in the state. That said, it is not a violation of state or federal laws to make Internet lottery ticket purchases at licensed and regulated legal online lottery agents such as the ones we recommend on this website.

Maryland sports betting was legalized by the passage of Question 2, a constitutional amendment brought before the voters in 2020.

The amendment does not itself legalize domestic online sports betting, though it is assumed that legislators will include online provisions when they craft regulations for the industry.

Retail domestic sports betting should launch sometime in Q2 or Q3 2021.