Maryland Casino Laws
Maryland has a singular attitude towards gambling in the USA and the Maryland Gambling Laws are just as straight forward. Gamblers won't find poker tournaments, slot machines, or video poker machines as in other states. The state only has one casino, and even pari-mutuel betting is forbidden. Maryland's primary form of gambling is horse racing. The five casinos on offer can be located using this handy map provided by Maryland Gaming, with links provided to all the casino websites. The Hollywood Casino in Perryville is currently the only place where you can get a legal game of poker in the entire state, and they also run over 1,000 slots, blackjack, craps and roulette. Maryland gaming regulations require a minimum theoretical payout of 87%, on average over its lifetime, for each VLT gaming machine. Further, overall for all VLTs at a casino, the minimum and maximum theoretical payouts must average between 90% and 95%.
Maryland has half a dozen land-based casinos, which is not bad for a state that size. It also has a state lottery, which can be a good sign of openness toward online gambling. In fact, Marylandseems poised to legalize online sports books, although moves towards online casinos are less promising.
Online Casinos in Maryland
Maryland has not legalized online casinos yet.
Compared to other states in America, Maryland isn't opposed to the idea of gambling completely. Maryland is home to a handful of casinos so if more states begin to pass bills in favor ofonline gaming, there is potential for Maryland to do the same.
In fact, there are currently moves toward legalizing at least sports betting in Maryland. As neighboring Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia have all legalized both online casinos andsportsbooks, there may be pressure to do the same in Maryland.
Maryland Land-Based Casinos
All casinos in Maryland are open 24 hours and, unless otherwise noted, offer
- slots
- video poker
- video keno
- craps
- blackjack
- roulette
- three-card poker
Optional games include: let it ride, pai gow poker, baccarat, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud, Poker, four card poker, big six and Texas Hold’em Bonus.
The MGM casino in National Harbor, Maryland is the closest casino to Washington D.C. It is located 12 miles from downtown Washington D.C.
Types of Casinos in Maryland
There are five Maryland casinos that are allowed to offer electronic gaming machines, as well as live table games.
However, one of those casinos, the Casino at Ocean Downs has no table games and does not have any plans to install them.
List of Land-Based Casinos in Maryland
Hollywood Casino - Perryville
- Address: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Pkwy, Perryville, MD 21903
- Phone: +1 410-378-8500
- Website: https://www.hollywoodcasinoperryville.com/
Casino Size: 35,000 Square Feet
Games offered: slots, video poker, video keno, poker, three card poker, four card poker, craps, blackjack, roulette and ultimate Texas Hold 'em
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore
- Address: 1525 Russell St, Baltimore, MD 21230
- Phone: +1 844-777-7463
- Website: https://www.caesars.com/horseshoe-baltimore
Casino Size: 122,000 square feet
Games Offered: Slots, Video Poker, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Mississippi Stud, Poker, Let It Ride, Video Keno, Craps, Blackjack, Roulette and Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Ultimate TexasHold 'em, Off Track Betting.
Special Features: 100x odds on craps.
MGM National Harbor
- Address: 101 MGM National Ave, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
- Phone: +1 301-971-5000
- Website: https://mgmnationalharbor.mgmresorts.com/en.html
Casino Size: 125,000 Square Feet
Games Offered: Slot Machines, Video Poker, Video Keno, Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Spanish 21, Mini Baccarat, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold'Em
Special Features: 3,000-seat theater. Luxury retail shops. Spa & fitness center.
Ocean Downs Casino
- Address: 10218 Racetrack Rd, Berlin, MD 21811
- Phone: +1 410-641-0600
- Website: https://www.oceandowns.com/
Games offered: Only Gaming Machines.
Special Features: Live harness racing seasonally. Daily simulcasting of thoroughbred and harness racing.
Rocky Gap Casino Resort
- Address: 16701 Lakeview Rd NE, Flintstone, MD 21530
- Phone: +1 301-784-8400
- Website: https://rockygapcasino.com/
Games Offered: Slot Machines, Video Poker, Video Keno, Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Three Card Poker, Poker, Big Six, Mississippi Stud and Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, Lucky Ladies Blackjack, DoubleDeck Pitch Blackjack, Bonus Craps
Special Features: over 600 slot machines
Maryland Land-Based Casinos Map
Map
You can easily see all casino locations by using our Maryland casinos map. To zoom in, just click the + (plus) sign in the lower right corner of the map, or to zoom out, just click the –(minus) sign in the same area.
To move the map of casinos in Maryland, click and hold down either of your mouse buttons. Then use the hand icon to drag the map in whichever direction you desire.
Each of the red icons on the map is a casino location. Just click on any red icon to see the name of the casino at that location. If you want more information on that casino, simply click againon the casino’s name and it will direct you to another page with detailed information on that particular casino, including address, phone number, toll-free phone number, room rates, casinosize, dining information, games offered, availability of discounts for seniors, any special features, and a direct link to that casino’s website.
History of Gambling in Maryland
Maryland has had a rather slow-paced growth of gambling. Although horse racing was legalized in the twenties, table games weren't made legal until 2012.
But this late legalization of table games may carry some momentum toward legalizing online gambling in the state.
Timeline of Legal History of Gambling
- 1791 Lotteries for churches and public improvement are legalized
- 1920 Horse racing given state oversite
- 1943 Slot machines allowed in some counties
- 1973 State Lottery starts.
- 2008 Slot machines approved for some private venues
- 2012 Casino table games legalized
Maryland Gambling Laws and Regulatory Organizations
If you want to order a drink while playing at any of the Maryland casinos, please be aware that state gaming regulations do not allow casinos to provide free alcoholic beverages.
The minimum gambling age is 21 for playing at all Maryland casinos and is 18 for pari-mutuel wagering and bingo. Smoking is prohibited in all Maryland casinos.
Payback Percentages
No public information is available about the actual payback percentages on electronic gaming machines at Maryland casinos. However, gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 87% on anyone machine and all machines within a casino must have an average payback of 90% to 95%. Unlike Maryland, in many states the slot machine payback statistics for that particular state’s casinosare released as a matter of public record. Just click here to see a list of slot machine payback statistics forcasinos in all U.S. states.
Regulatory Organizations
Gambling in Maryland Today
There is significant reason to expect to see online gambling legalized in Maryland in the near future. As mentioned, as neighboring Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia have all legalizedboth online casinos and sportsbooks, we may expect the same in Maryland.
Additionally, a 2018 bill called for the formation of a task force to “study the implementation of sports gaming in the state.' So online sports betting is likely in a relativelyshort time. The hope for us casino fans is that online casinos will be included in any legislation.
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One of the states where some of the biggest expectations for the legalizing of online gambling Maryland didn’t quite come through up to now. The regulations regarding gambling are permissive, and although there aren’t that many Maryland casinos locations, this small state offers a wide variety of options. Also, some starting steps have been made in the online market, but there’s still a long way to go until we see the first Maryland online casino. The alternatives are numerous, and the law-makers are rather open to the novelties in the field. At the same time, they ask for strict respect of these laws and risking to gamble outside the legal MD casinos or in those other allowed venues, is simply not worth it. But we gathered a list of USA online casinos for Maryland players.
Maryland Live Casino Lawsuit
Best Online Casinos Accepting Maryland Players
Casino | Bonus | Website | Rating | Features | Deposit |
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1 | $2000 | 473 voted Review |
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2 | $12250 | 431 voted Review |
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3 | $12000 | 279 voted Review |
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4 | $2500 | 354 voted Review |
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5 | $1000 | 407 voted Review |
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6 | $7777 | 396 voted Review |
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7 | $3000 | 212 voted Review |
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8 | $800 | 466 voted Review |
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9 | $4000 | 168 voted Review |
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10 | $5000 | 224 voted Review |
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Contents
Maryland Gambling Laws
As opposed to many other states where this domain shared a vast history, most of the times, one filled with illegalities and organized crime stories, Maryland gambling laws were issued much later than those years of reference. Thus, lawmakers have taken their time and have based their decision on the experience that other states had, taking what has worked in the past in similar situations. But, this doesn’t mean that they were rigid. After the 2008 referendum, for introducing slots at some previously defined locations, has taken place, this being the very first step of the expansion, things have escalated in very large strides. Four years later there has been a decision on introducing table games at these venues, this being the birth moment of the Maryland casinos market.
Afterwards, it has become a diversified market, offering besides the gambling casinos in Maryland:
- Horse and dog racing, with one of the venues, is one of the “racinos” types
- Bingo halls and different other charitable gaming options
- Lottery, both state and interstate versions
- Home poker games, allowed by a highly controversial bill
- Maryland sports betting, which the future shall probably bring along this year or 2020 at most after another controversial bill has passed, which states that this form of betting is to become legit should it be allowed on federal legal grounds.
Surely, seeing how the offline options are many, it’s only normal that the laws are stating what is accepted and what is not, to be strict. The gambling age in Maryland is 21, no exceptions added, as is the case in other places. There is, also, a severe definition of gambling devices for instance, which could mean everything from smartphones to desktop computers. However, the betting online business is still a “grey area”, without control or any sort of official regulations and no player has ever been charged with illegal gambling.
Online Gambling Maryland
Online gambling in Maryland is, as claimed before, unregulated in this state, meaning that any website that offers casino gaming services, based in the MD jurisdiction, can be prosecuted. Of course that no player has been charged with illegal gambling, while playing for real money on websites with operating license received from the more relaxed countries, when it comes to betting: Canada, Curacao, Malta and so on. These are the real deal, and while one doesn’t wander off on dubious links, but follow the instructions and the recommendations issued by trustworthy websites, which try the gameplay and share reviews, the only risk a player takes upon himself is that his luck runs out.
However, there are some developments which allow us to dream of better times where online activity is concerned:
- The bill which allows home poker games, besides seeming to create competition for MD casinos, gives hope for future online poker legitimacy.
- Another quirky rule is that of social gaming, which is allowed, with some of the local venues even have their own sites. For example, Maryland Live Casino online business has available mobile real money slots, table games, tournaments, a rewards system, and even a VIP lounge.
- The Maryland Live Casino sports betting platform is ready to be put to good use, especially after the decision to pass a bill stating that whenever the federal law pertaining to money transfers is retracted, another bill sustaining wagering on sports is to be passed. This surely affects the Internet-based operators, seeing how in order to get a larger piece of the pie, they’ll make good use of the advantage of easy access, which is not to be ignored.
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Offline Gambling
Casinos
While there aren’t that many venues of sorts statewide, the ones that do exist are some of the most impressive locations on the entire east coast. The largest casino Maryland has, of the 5 establishments in the state, is the Live! Casino and Hotel, owning 4000 slot machines, around 50 poker tables, and over 100 gaming tables. The resort is owned by locals, and it goes head to head with the commercial and widely-spread brand of MGM, disposing of no more than 3000 slots devices, more than 40 poker rooms and over 100 gaming tables.
These being the case, it’s easy to see why the distaste of lawmakers in Maryland for live online slots, when so many live options exist in the brick-and-mortar resorts. More so, seeing the kind of competition neighbour states bring to the table. Delaware, Pennsylvania and even West Virginia is offering a large number of casinos near Maryland, to compete over state’s residents willing to gamble.
Race tracks
A couple of such locations exist in the state, with one of the most famous competition in the US being held here, at Pimlico Race Course. Unfortunately, seeing how the state is of rather a small size and the 6 race tracks are well spread around the state, law-makers decided there’s no need for off-track betting locations. Therefore, these venues are forbidden, compelling customers to use one of the existing venues.
Charitable
While charitable games are concerned, some counties allow bingo, but not all of them, making it not the most popular option there is. The base of this category of games is made out of raffles, card games, and the highly notorious casino-nights. These get-togethers make another fair point on why no new casinos in MD are to be opened anytime soon. Although during the casino-nights only card games and roulette games are permitted, it’s enough for novices to get a taste of how the atmosphere in such a venue really is like.
Social Gaming
Are Casinos Legal In Maryland
The market of Maryland online gambling has received unexpected help from the social gaming side of the Internet. MD Live! Social Casino is the virtual platform where players can get and enjoy some of the games found in the land-based venue, can play in tournaments, have the option of joining the reward program with bonuses that can be used in the resort as well.
The Maryland Live! Social Casino is a great example of how a legalized domain of sorts might look like and is perhaps giving an incentive for players to become more interested in the online side of things, as well as an extra impulse for law-makers to reanalyze their decisions on the matter.
Future Expectations
The near future seems to bring along some interesting developments regarding the sports betting legalization. In early 2017 the decision to regulate this subject when and if the federal ban would be cancelled, seems to have met its demands. 2018 found the Supreme Court issuing a decision in that direction, and everyone assumes it’s only a matter of time before we can see the first sports booking platforms. The only question is how many casinos in Maryland are going to start investing already in getting ready for the first wave of customers.
On the downside, there are some bills submitted for banning daily fantasy sports and while at this moment there hasn’t come to any final conclusion and the sites are still active, things look pretty bleak up ahead.
Also, MD being a populous state means there are some talks about opening new casinos in Maryland, although the bill which allows home poker games along with the organization of casino-nights put the necessity of opening new such venues in doubt.
You Might Also be Interested in:
Virginia state online casinos
Washington online casinos
Pennsylvania state online casinos
Delaware online casinos
Is gambling legal in Maryland?
Yes, most forms are legal. Maryland gambling laws are quite permissive and allow a variety of types; land-based casinos exist, as well as racinos. Bingo is allowed, with most charitable games as well. Sports betting is up next but with some problems, and perhaps online gambling will soon follow.
Is online gambling legal in Maryland?
For now, the only option is to play on the carefully selected off-shore websites. There has been a bill passed recently to allow home poker games, which hopefully is going to open the window for the regulation of online poker in Maryland.
What type of legit Maryland online gambling is there?
First, for a complete experience, the only accepted way is to join the off-shore sites reviewed recommended in the list above. Another option is to go play in the Maryland Live Casino online platform of social gaming. Also, awaiting soon for the legalization of online sports betting Maryland, advanced debates being held on this topic.
Is online poker legal in Maryland?
Maryland online poker hasn’t been legalized just yet, and it’s still considered a grey area. But while there aren’t any US-based websites to offer these services, there are some verified sites, like those from the list above, registered outside borders, such as Bovada, Maryland players can use.
Ohio Casino Laws
How can I transfer money in and out of sites that offer online poker for Maryland players?
All the websites that accept Maryland online poker players have certain terms and conditions regarding the accepted means of transferring money to and from the virtual account. There are some limitations that are put in place especially for the safety of the player, as for example e-wallets are generally not accepted. Also, some of the restrictions are because the banks involved need to apply some extra security measures, which might delay the transactions.
What is the gambling age in Maryland?
The Maryland gambling age, regardless if it’s about playing in an MD casino, or any other form of gambling, is of 21 years old.
How is the Maryland online casino market developing?
There are two aspects that give us hope that the future is bound to bring favourable development:
Kentucky Casino Laws
- There are talks about opening new Maryland casinos, on account of the state has a larger population than the 5 casinos’ capacity
- MD Live online casino, the platform used for social gaming, already offers versions of slots and table games, with tournaments and rewards system, quite similar to the way a regular virtual establishment does.