Maryland – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations

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There are no legal definitions for online gambling in Maryland law and therefore it is prohibited to set up any form of online gambling operation. This, however, doesn’t mean that it is strictly illegal for individuals to play online casino games. There are no laws saying that you can’t eat ice cream on a Sunday, so therefore it is assumed it is legal to eat ice cream on a Sunday. The legislation will tend to always target organizations rather than individual players and there are a bunch of fully legit operations based overseas that are always happy to welcome new customers. You will however have to be aware of the fact due to the lack of legislation and government oversight, you will be more exposed to risk from illegitimate operations.

• Is the casino fully licensed?
• What is the reputation of the licensing body?
• Will you be able to use your preferred payment methods?
• Will you be able to participate in loyalty programs?
• Does the site feature sports betting?

One of the best ways to mitigate risks online is by keeping yourself informed. That’s why we recommend you check out our casino reviews here at GoodLuckMate, written by industry veterans, so that you can easily get a measure of a site’s legitimacy and value. 

Gambling Regulation

Like most other US states, Maryland’s online gambling regulations remain nonexistent. While neighboring states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey have had a fully regulated gambling market for years now, the Old Line State sits on the sidelines with most of its contemporaries. While land-based gambling is very much alive in the state, social casinos that allow you to play using virtual money is the only form of regulated online gambling, as any and all forms of risk are taken out of the games. This is all set to change very soon though, as a recent 2020 filing created the momentum for a vote to be cast on a regulated sports betting market. The end of 2020 saw the vote pass and it is therefore expected that 2021 will be the year that a fully functional sports betting framework will be established, with the possible inclusion of an online component as well. Several other states have already implemented a fully regulated sports betting scene, but this has rarely ever lead to online casinos getting paid much attention and therefore it is expected that it will still be quite some time before Maryland will be able to compete on the same level as its above-mentioned neighbors. 

Localized Online Casinos

Even though most online casinos operate from Europe, their localization options still manage to align nicely with US ideals. The large mix of languages, currencies and cultures that populate Europe makes it incredibly hard for organizations to effectively handle localization options for each of their players. That is why default options are provided so that players can still play even if their native language is not supported for instance. Default options will most commonly consist of English language options and US dollar payment methods, which is naturally well suited for US players. Furthermore, large US sporting events like the Superbowl are able to draw in huge international crowds, which all sports betting sites are always eager to capitalize on.

Gambling with US Dollars

US dollars are so widely available across the world that it is almost a requirement for any and all payment providers to have some sort of support for the currency. This makes it an ideal choice for operations that cater to players from around the world, as it is unrealistic to expect an organization to be able to support every currency under the sun. US dollars are therefore used as an alternative for players whose local currency is not supported. As such, you will actually find it very difficult to locate an online casino that doesn’t support US dollars, unless you are looking for some of the newer cryptocurrency exclusive casinos that do not deal with any forms of conventional currency.

Casinos in Maryland

The state of Maryland has around 15 land-based casinos, as well as numerous slot halls that combine to offer a total of almost 12,000 slot machines. This clearly shows that there is quite a bit of love for gambling in the state, but unfortunately, this has yet to cross over to the online world. In this respect, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware (All neighbors of Maryland) are all ahead and it is hoped that the Old Line State will be able to make up some of the difference during the course of 2021. That remains to be seen though and in the meanwhile, we will still need to wait to see if online casinos will appear on the docket in the future.