Maryland Online Casinos

Maryland’s history of gambling is long and detailed. The first horse race occurred in 1743, but it wasn’t until the middle of the 19th century that betting on these races became legal in Maryland. The lottery was also considered legal and a means to fund public works and churches.

In this article, we will guide you through all key aspects regarding gambling in this Mid-Atlantic state — the legality of online gambling and daily fantasy sports, brick-and-mortar casino options, other types of permitted gambling, and the future of online gambling.

Top 5 Maryland Online Casinos

Here is a list of our top 3 recommended online casinos sites to play at for real money from Maryland.

	CASINO	RATING	BONUS	PLAY
1	Bovada		100% up to $1,000 Sign Up Bonus	Play Now
2	Vegas Casino Online		300% up to $3,000 Sign Up Bonus	Play Now
3	Slots.lv		200% up to $1,000 Sign Up Bonus	Play Now
4	Red Dog Casino		225% up to $12,250 Sign Up Bonus	Play Now
5	Sun Palace Casino		400% up to $10,000 Sign Up Bonus	Play Now

Is Online Gambling Permitted in Maryland?

Unlike many other US states, Maryland isn’t vague about online gambling — it openly forbids it. What’s more, traditional, land-based gambling interests lobby the legislature of Maryland. In essence, brick-and-mortar casinos view online gambling as competition. If online gambling was legalized, currently enormous land-based casino revenue would likely shrink.

Currently, only betting on daily fantasy sports is legal in Maryland. The residents of Maryland can bet on DFS on various popular websites. Other types of online gambling aren’t allowed. Even horse and pari-mutuel betting, which is permitted in land-based casinos, is forbidden.

This is also true for gambling in offshore casinos. According to the constitution of Maryland, gambling in offshore casinos is considered a criminal offense. Even though Maryland courts rarely convict those who gamble in offshore casinos, we still recommend that you consult a lawyer before joining an offshore platform.

Note that Maryland’s authorities are carefully monitoring the state’s banks and other financial institutions for cases of money transfers by offshore gambling operators.

Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in Maryland?

Maryland was the first state in the US that passed the law that explicitly legalized paid-entry fantasy sports in 2012. Moreover, the Free State added new customer-friendly regulations for daily fantasy sports in 2017.

All of this makes Maryland one of the most progressive states in the US when it comes to DFS.

Land-Based Casino Options in Maryland

Nowadays, you can find several land-based gambling establishments in the Free State, as well as two racetracks. Let’s explore some of the best casinos you can gamble at in this Mid-Atlantic state.

Hollywood Casino Perryville

While Hollywood Casino isn’t the largest or most popular casino in Maryland, it is the first one. This casino has over 700 video poker, video keno, and slot games.

Besides off-track gambling, this establishment offers multiple table games such as craps, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, roulette, Three-Card Poker, and blackjack.

MGM National Harbor.

This casino is the newest land-based gambling establishment in Maryland — it actually consists of a casino and a hotel. The gambling venue features more than 3,500 gaming machines, over 40 poker tables, and more than 100 gaming tables.

Apart from the entertainment, the venue offers a theater, pool, spa, clubs, and bars. You can find MGM National Harbor at 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD 20745.

Live! Casino & Hotel

Live! Casino comes with everything you will ever need and features a stunning list of casino games. There are over 3,500 gaming devices and over 40 tables that offer poker.

Besides offering a lot of gambling enjoyment, this casino provides accommodation as well. Even if you can stay somewhere else, you should at least grab a bite at a couple of dining options available here.

Horseshoe Casino Baltimore

This gambling establishment has two stories and over 120,000 square feet of gambling entertainment. As a matter of fact, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore is the second biggest casino in this state. The casino includes slots, video keno, video poker, and multiple table games.

Horseshoe Casino is also the home of the World Series of Poker.

This gambling establishment features over 2,000 gambling machines, allowing you to enjoy video poker, keno, and slots. You can also find a vast array of over 150 table games.

Rocky Gap Casino

Besides being a gambling establishment, Rocky Gap Casino offers accommodations as well. The casino has a hotel if you need accommodation, as well as a place where you can play golf. Numerous slots, table games, and even a lottery are present, in addition to nice dining options.

Other Gambling Options in Maryland

The oldest and most popular type of gambling in Maryland is horse racing. At one point, the Free State offered six tracks for horse racing. However, these days, Maryland has only two of them.

There’s also the state-sponsored lottery — you can buy lotto tickets and scratch-off cards in any convenience store. Charitable gambling is popular in Maryland as well; it consists of games such as bingo, raffle, paddlewheel, and wheel of fortune.

Note that a couple of these games are rigorously regulated; for example, raffles are available only twice per year.

Future of Online Gambling in Maryland

In the past, Maryland’s legislation was more than strict regarding gambling. However, this Mid-Atlantic state is becoming more and more liberal as time passes. These days, Maryland has six land-based gambling establishments that offer the most popular casino games such as table games and slot machines.

Maryland was once a lot less permissive toward land-based casinos. However, during the course of the last decade, it altered its approach to gambling. Up until 2008, Maryland didn’t allow any type of brick-and-mortar gambling establishments, but a consensus was reached in the same year, enabling the state to offer slot games in a selected number of casinos.

It seems likely that Maryland will soon allow its gambling establishments to transfer their operations to the web. While the Free State doesn’t currently allow web-based gambling, it does permit its citizens to bet on daily fantasy sports.

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