What Maryland Permits — and What It Doesn’t

Maryland has one of the more active gambling markets on the East Coast. The state has expanded its legal gambling options significantly over the past decade, moving from a limited lottery system to a multi-billion-dollar industry that includes casinos, sports betting, and online platforms. For most residents, that expansion has been unremarkable. For others, easier access to gambling has made a difficult relationship with it harder to manage.

This page covers what Maryland law actually permits, how the state regulates gambling, and where to find support if gambling — legal or otherwise — has started causing harm.

Maryland’s Legal Gambling Framework

Maryland’s gambling laws are primarily governed by the Maryland General Assembly, which has passed a series of ballot measures and legislative acts over the years to expand legal gambling options. The state’s approach has been incremental — each new form of gambling required voter approval or a separate legislative action before it could be authorized.

Here is a breakdown of what is currently legal in Maryland:

• State Lottery: Maryland’s lottery has operated since 1973. It includes scratch-off tickets, draw games like Powerball and Mega Millions, and Keno. Lottery terminals are found in convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery chains across the state.
• Commercial Casinos: Maryland currently has six licensed commercial casinos, including MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino & Hotel, and Horseshoe Casino Baltimore. These facilities offer slot machines, table games, and poker rooms.
• Sports Betting: Maryland legalized sports betting in 2020 through a voter referendum. Both retail and online sports betting are now operational, with the state issuing licenses to multiple operators.
• Horse Racing and Simulcasting: Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing has been legal in Maryland for decades. The Preakness Stakes, held annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, is one of the most prominent events.

Online casino gaming — sometimes called iGaming — remains a separate question. As of this writing, Maryland has not yet legalized online casino table games or online slots, though legislation has been introduced in multiple sessions. That could change, and residents should check current state law if they are uncertain about a specific platform.

Sports Betting in Maryland: How It Works

Maryland’s sports betting rollout has been one of the more closely watched in the mid-Atlantic region. Retail sports betting launched at licensed casinos in late 2021, and mobile betting apps became available in late 2022 after the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission issued mobile licenses to qualifying operators.

Bettors must be physically located within Maryland to place a mobile wager, even if they hold an account with a licensed operator. The minimum age for sports betting is 21. Maryland taxes sports betting revenue at 15 percent for online operators and 15 percent for retail locations, with a portion of that revenue directed toward education funding.

The number of licensed mobile operators in Maryland has grown since launch. Major national platforms hold licenses alongside regional operators. This proliferation of apps — combined with sign-up bonuses and promotional offers — has made sports betting more accessible than at any previous point in the state’s history. That accessibility is worth understanding clearly: more access means more opportunity for people who are already vulnerable to gambling-related harm to lose control more quickly.

Casino Operations and Oversight

Maryland’s six commercial casinos are regulated by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (MLGCC). The Commission oversees licensing, compliance, and enforcement. Casinos are required to display responsible gambling information, offer self-exclusion enrollment, and train staff to identify signs of problem gambling.

The self-exclusion program allows individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from Maryland’s licensed casinos for a period of one year, five years, or lifetime. Once enrolled, a person who enters a casino can be removed and, in some cases, face forfeiture of any winnings. Self-exclusion is not a treatment program — it is a harm-reduction tool. It works best as part of a broader recovery plan, not as a standalone solution.

If you are considering self-exclusion and want to talk through what that process looks like alongside other support options, the 24/7 Gambling Addiction Hotline can help you think through next steps confidentially.

What Is Not Legal in Maryland

Despite its expanded gambling market, Maryland still prohibits several forms of gambling. Understanding these boundaries matters — both for legal reasons and because illegal gambling environments often carry additional risks, including lack of consumer protections and no access to responsible gambling resources.

• Online casino games: Playing online slots or table games through unlicensed offshore platforms is not legal under Maryland law, even if those platforms accept Maryland residents.
• Social gambling with a house: Private card games are technically permitted under narrow conditions, but any arrangement where a “house” takes a cut of the pot moves the activity into illegal territory.
• Unlicensed sports betting: Placing bets through unlicensed offshore sportsbooks is not legal, though enforcement against individual bettors is rare.
• Video poker machines in bars: Unlike some states, Maryland does not permit video poker or gaming machines outside of licensed casino facilities.

People who gamble on unlicensed platforms have no recourse if a platform refuses to pay winnings, closes without notice, or misuses financial information. This is a practical concern, not just a legal one.

The Reach of Problem Gambling in Maryland

Legal frameworks tell you what is permitted. They do not tell you what gambling does to people. Research published through the National Institutes of Health identifies problem gambling as a public health issue that affects individuals across income levels, ages, and backgrounds — not a character flaw or a failure of willpower.

Estimates suggest that between 1 and 3 percent of the adult population meets criteria for problem gambling or gambling disorder at any given time. In a state with roughly 4.7 million adults, that means somewhere between 47,000 and 140,000 Marylanders may be experiencing gambling-related harm right now. Many of them have never spoken to anyone about it.

Problem gambling rarely looks like what people imagine. It is not always someone losing everything at a casino in a single night. More often, it builds slowly — a little more time on the sports betting app, a few more lottery tickets, a pattern of chasing losses that feels manageable until it suddenly isn’t. The National Council on Problem Gambling has documented that the average person with a gambling problem waits seven years before seeking help. Seven years is a long time to carry something alone.

Recognizing When Gambling Has Become a Problem

There is no single threshold that separates recreational gambling from problem gambling. The distinction is not about how much money someone spends — it is about the impact gambling has on their life. Some questions worth sitting with honestly:

• Have you tried to cut back on gambling and found it harder than expected?
• Do you find yourself thinking about gambling frequently, even when you are doing something else?
• Have you borrowed money, sold belongings, or used funds meant for bills or rent to gamble?
• Has gambling caused conflict in your relationships, or have you hidden your gambling from people close to you?

Answering yes to any of these does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. It means something is worth paying attention to. These patterns are treatable. Many people who have struggled with gambling have found their way to stable, meaningful recovery — often with the right support at the right time.

If you are asking these questions about someone you love rather than yourself, that matters too. Family members and partners of people with gambling problems carry real stress, financial strain, and emotional weight. Support is available for you as well, not just for the person who is gambling.

Maryland’s Problem Gambling Resources

Maryland funds problem gambling treatment through a portion of casino revenue. The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling coordinates treatment referrals and training for clinicians across the state. Residents can access outpatient counseling, intensive outpatient programs, and peer support services through this system, often at low or no cost depending on income and insurance coverage.

The state’s self-exclusion program, administered through the MLGCC, is one entry point for people who recognize they need to create distance from casino gambling. However, self-exclusion does not address online sports betting apps or lottery products — a limitation that becomes more significant as those platforms grow.

For anyone who wants to talk through options without committing to a specific program or treatment path, the 24/7 Gambling Addiction Hotline offers confidential conversations at any hour. There is no intake form, no judgment, and no requirement to have already decided what kind of help you want. You can simply talk.

How Maryland’s Gambling Expansion Affects Vulnerable Populations

Expanding legal gambling generates tax revenue and creates jobs. It also increases exposure for people who are already at risk. These two things are both true, and acknowledging them honestly is part of understanding what Maryland’s gambling environment actually looks like.

Several factors make some people more vulnerable than others. Younger adults — particularly those between 18 and 34 — show higher rates of problem gambling than older age groups, partly because of the social normalization of sports betting apps and the way those platforms are marketed. People with co-occurring mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, are at elevated risk. So are individuals who experienced gambling problems in their family of origin.

Maryland’s casino locations are not evenly distributed. MGM National Harbor sits in Prince George’s County, one of the state’s most populous counties and home to a large working-class population. Proximity to gambling venues has been associated in public health research with higher rates of gambling-related harm in surrounding communities. This is not an argument against casinos — it is context for understanding why problem gambling rates may differ by region even within a single state.

For Maryland residents who want to understand what resources exist in their specific county or region, the state-specific resource directory can point toward local options alongside national support.

Online Gambling Platforms and Maryland Law

The question of online gambling in Maryland is genuinely complicated, and it is changing. Sports betting apps are legal and regulated. Daily fantasy sports platforms operate in a legal gray area that Maryland has not fully resolved. Online casino games — slots, blackjack, roulette — remain illegal under current state law, though offshore platforms continue to accept Maryland players without legal consequence to individual users.

From a harm-reduction standpoint, the platform matters. Online gambling — whether legal or not — removes nearly every natural brake that exists in physical gambling environments. There is no drive to the casino, no closing time, no social cues from other people in the room. A person can place hundreds of bets in an hour from a phone in bed at 2 a.m. That frictionlessness accelerates the development of problematic patterns for people who are susceptible.

If you are concerned about your use of a specific app or platform, the platform-specific gambling help section of our resource library addresses how different types of online gambling affect behavior and what steps you can take regardless of the platform’s legal status in your state.

For Families: When Someone You Love Is Gambling

Gambling problems do not stay contained to the person gambling. Financial damage spreads to households. Emotional withdrawal affects partners and children. The secrecy that often accompanies problem gambling — hidden accounts, unexplained debt, missing money — erodes trust in ways that take time to rebuild even after the gambling stops.

If you are a family member trying to understand what is happening, a few things are worth knowing. First, problem gambling is classified as a behavioral addiction with recognized neurological underpinnings. The person you love is not simply choosing to hurt you. That does not excuse the harm caused, but it changes how recovery works — it requires support and treatment, not just willpower or consequences.

Second, you cannot force someone to stop gambling. What you can do is protect yourself, set clear limits around finances, and access your own support. Talking to someone who understands gambling addiction — not just addiction generally — can help you figure out what to say, what not to say, and how to take care of yourself in the meantime.

The hotline is available to family members, not just people who are gambling. A confidential conversation costs nothing and requires no prior decisions about treatment or intervention. You can reach the 24/7 Gambling Addiction Hotline at any time to talk through what you are experiencing.

Recovery Is Possible — and It Looks Different for Everyone

There is no single path out of problem gambling. Some people respond well to cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps identify and interrupt the thought patterns that drive gambling behavior. Others find peer support groups valuable — the experience of talking with people who have been through something similar is something a clinician cannot fully replicate. Some people need help with the financial fallout first, before they can address the gambling itself. Many need a combination of approaches over time.

Public health research on problem gambling supports a tiered approach to intervention — meeting people where they are, rather than requiring them to reach a crisis point before help is available. That means early conversations matter. Asking a question matters. Calling a hotline at 11 p.m. because something finally felt real enough to act on — that matters too.

Maryland has treatment infrastructure. The state funds services. Clinicians who specialize in gambling disorder practice across the state. The gap is not usually the availability of resources — it is the distance between knowing something is wrong and taking the first step to address it. That first step can be a phone call. It does not have to be a commitment to any particular outcome.

You are not alone in this. Whatever brought you to this page — curiosity, concern, a crisis, a question about the law — there are people who understand what you are dealing with and want to help. The educational resources and recovery tools on this site are available any time, and so is a real conversation with someone who can listen without judgment and help you figure out what comes next.

Take the First Step Toward Support

Maryland’s gambling laws will continue to evolve. New platforms will launch, new legislation will pass, and the ways people gamble will keep changing. What will not change is the fact that gambling problems are treatable, that help is available around the clock, and that reaching out is always the right move when something feels out of control.

If you are ready to talk — about your own gambling, a loved one’s, or just what your options are — the 24/7 Gambling Addiction Hotline is here. Confidential. No cost. Available right now. You do not need to have all the answers before you call. You just need to make the call.