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For many years, Nevada was the only place in the US to play a slot machine. The one-armed bandit has been synonymous with the state for decades.
However, for 21 years, from 1947 to 1968, Americans could find legal slot play in Maryland too.
In terms of significance, this fact makes Maryland one of the only states to ban gambling, then bring it back.
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This history likely set the stage for Maryland’s moderate but passionate reintroduction back into the world of slot machines and table games.
The state has also become a pro-sports betting state. Voters overwhelmingly voted yes on Question 2 to legalize Maryland sports wagering during the state’s November 2020 election.
Sweepstakes casinos in Maryland
Maryland Live Casino Online
Social casino options
Marylanders have all of the typical options for social gaming. Double Down, Big Fish, Slotomania, Zynga, and MyVegas are all available through Facebook or mobile devices. Interestingly, the Hollywood Casino in Perryville does not feature its own social casino option. This is unusual for casinos branded by Hollywood.
Marylanders may want to pay slightly more attention to MyVegas than other states because of its proximity to Borgata in New Jersey. Although it’s not walking distance, Borgata is a short trip from Maryland and does have options for redemption through the MyVegas site. Maryland residents might do well to investigate the slot options on MyVegas.
Maryland sports betting
Just after the calendar flipped to 2020, Sen. Chris West pre-filed SB 58, which would allow horse tracks and casinos to offer regulated Maryland sports betting.
Fast forward to November 2020, when a large majority of voters voted yes on statewide ballot measure Question 2, finally legalizing Maryland sports betting.
Whether that will include online sports betting is still unclear. Lawmakers will likely convene in 2021 to hammer out the details.
Online gambling
Like many states, Maryland does not have a strict law for or against playing games of chance online. However, the state is rather restrictive when it comes to funding those games. Many banks and other financial institutions are closely monitored for any kind of interactions with gambling websites or operators.
The bright spot is that there are three nearby states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) that either have or are about to have online gambling. It is certain that the Maryland Legislature will be monitoring those states’ successes closely. It is also possible that Maryland could decide to get in on the online game in the near future. Below is a table of likely operators based upon the companies that already have a foothold in the state.
Likely online gambling operators
| Operator | Properties Owned/Managed in MD |
|---|---|
| Caesars Entertainment | Horseshoe Casino Baltimore |
| Gaming and Leisure Properties | Hollywood Casino Perryville |
| Golden Entertainment | Rocky Gap Casino Resort |
| MGM Resorts International | MGM National Harbor |
| Saratoga Casino Holdings | Ocean Downs |
| The Cordish Companies | Maryland Live! Casino |
State casino operator history
In 1947, four counties in southern Maryland ignored a veto from Maryland’s governor at the time and installed 9,300 gaming machines in their counties. These counties raked in millions of dollars each year. It was estimated to be over $24 million in 1963 alone, and the scene was so hot that it became the main tourist attraction for the area.
However, all good things must come to an end, and in 1968 Maryland outlawed the slot machines. But the fire for gambling in Maryland continued to smolder. In 2008, residents approved a constitutional amendment to allow slot machines in five specific state locations.
Things went well, and in 2012 voters elected to expand the allowed games to include table games at the five casinos. They also voted to extend the operating hours at the casinos and to authorize a sixth casino. The six casinos are in six different Maryland locales – Anne Arundel, BaltimoreCity, CecilCounty, AlleganyCounty, WorcesterCounty, and Prince George’s County. The sixth casino, MGM National Harbor, just opened last December.
Casino revenue
So far, the appeal of these facilities is strong and on the rise. Total revenue for February 2017 alone was over $128 million. The addition of the sixth property is certainly contributing to that figure. MGM National Harbor made $48.8 million in revenue in its first month of operation and its effect on the overall take has been a net positive for the state.
All of this has occurred since 2010, when Hollywood Casino Perryville opened its doors. By the standards of the rest of the state’s casinos, it is a rather modest property. There are 850 slots, 20 table games, and an off-track betting facility (there is no poker room). Yet, four years later, the profile of the state’s gaming industry expanded fivefold – four more casinos opened their doors by August 2014.
The largest of these casinos (and still the largest – MGM National Harbor could only take second place) is Maryland Live! Casino. This massive casino offers its patrons almost 4,000 slot machines, over 200 table games, and a gigantic poker room with 52 tables. There are eight restaurants for patrons to dine, a posh hotel with 310 rooms and 52 suites to reserve, and a 1500-seat entertainment venue. This casino is enough to warrant a stop on the World Poker Tour each year, despite the casino only having been open since June 2012.
Location, location, location
Maryland Live! and the five other Maryland properties are finding such success because of the tremendous location they enjoy. Maryland is a fairly populous, but small state, which means it is close to many surrounding areas in addition to its own cities and localities. For instance, Maryland Live! is a 15-minute drive from downtown Baltimore and also only a 50-minute drive from Washington D.C.
It is also less than a two-hour drive from both Philadelphia and Dover, Delaware. These two cities have their own options to be sure, but Maryland casinos are close enough to draw from those areas for a change of pace or special events (like the aforementioned WPT). All in all, the future looks bright for Maryland casinos, because even with the saturation of the northeastern casino market, Maryland enjoys a roughly central location from many parts of this area of the country.
Land-based casinos
| Property | Location | Number of Slots | Number of Table Games | Number of Poker Tables |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Live! Casino | Hanover | 3,941 | 209 | 52 |
| MGM National Harbor | Oxon Hill | 3,212 | 165 | 39 |
| Horseshoe Casino Baltimore | Baltimore | 2,186 | 179 | 25 |
| Hollywood Casino Perryville | Perryville | 850 | 20 | n/a |
| Ocean Downs | Berlin | 800 | n/a | n/a |
| Rocky Gap Casino Resort | Flintstone | 662 | 17 | n/a |
State legal environment
| Permitted/Offered? | Notes & Restrictions | |
|---|---|---|
| Land-based Gambling | Yes | |
| Online Gambling | No | |
| Lottery | Yes | State and multi-state drawings |
| Charitable or House-based Gambling | Yes | |
| Minimum Gambling Age | 21 |
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What Makes These the Top Maryland Online Casino Sites?
Our list of the top Maryland online casinos was not stitched together in five minutes with a few Google searches. We have a team dedicated to finding and analyzing online casinos that service Maryland customers. It’s an extensive process, but the results are the list of the top casino sites above. In the following sections, we’ll take a short look at a few of the criteria our team is looking to find.
Excellent Marks in Safety, Security, and Trustworthiness
For the best Maryland online casino sites to make our recommended list, they need to excel in many areas. Hands down, the most important of those areas is safety, security, and trustworthiness. We stand firm on the fact that you shouldn’t have to worry about your money, your safety, or the fairness of the casino games you play online.
All of the best Maryland online casinos we recommend received high marks in these three areas.
Here are a few of the qualities we used to make those determinations:
- Proper installation of SSL certificates
- A proactive and not reactive approach to security
- Dedicated teams actively eliminating external threats
- Upgraded servers and software to meet today’s standards
- Random number generators regularly tested for fairness
The Casino Games That Maryland Players Want to Play
There’s one thing Maryland residents love more than blue crab… Just kidding! There is nothing we love more. But a close second is gambling and casino games! We’re 11th on the all-state list of yearly lottery sales and 10th in gross gaming casino revenue!
Check out the summarize snippets below:
| Lottery Ticket Sales by State (in billion U.S. dollars) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 3.05 | ||
| New York | 9.69 | ||
| California | 6.28 | ||
| Florida | 6.06 | ||
| Massachusetts | 5.22 | ||
| Texas | 5.07 | ||
| Georgia | 4.56 | ||
| Pennsylvania | 4.14 | ||
| Ohio | 3.93 | ||
| New Jersey | 3.29 | ||
| Michigan | 3.1 | ||
| Illinois | 2.86 | ||
| North Carolina | 2.38 | ||
| Virginia | 2.01 | ||
| Gross Gambling Revenue by State (in million U.S. dollars) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 1,746.36 | ||
| Nevada | 11,917.37 | ||
| Pennsylvania | 3,251.2 | ||
| New Jersey | 2,903.48 | ||
| New York | 2,587.74 | ||
| Louisiana | 2,561.46 | ||
| Indiana | 2,240.84 | ||
| Mississippi | 2,142.06 | ||
| Ohio | 1,863.94 | ||
| Missouri | 1,754.47 | ||
| Iowa | 1,467.33 | ||
| Michigan | 1,444.1 | ||
| Illinois | 1,373.46 | ||
| Colorado | 842.1 | ||
Based on our anecdotal research, we’ve found that Maryland gamblers are particularly fond of keno, roulette, blackjack, poker, and slots. When we’re creating our list of the top Maryland online casinos, we pay special attention to these games. We’re looking for casinos that offer a well-rounded series of options, but also with some special attention to these Maryland favorites.
The Highest-Quality Online Casino Experience Available
Technology has come too far in this industry for you ever to consider settling for a less than perfect online casino. In the early days, we’d cut companies slack because everything was new. Now, though, you will not see any Maryland online casino sites on our recommended list that do not excel in every way possible.
Here are some of the ways the best Maryland online casinos we recommended above shine when it comes to offering a quality product:
My Live Online Casino Maryland
- The highest quality games
- An impressive selection of games to choose from
- Crips graphics and smooth animations
- Seamless gameplay
- Lots of banking options properly integrated
- Superior customer service
Are Maryland Online Casinos Legal?
When you dig into the Maryland lawbooks, you will find several sections concerning land-based casinos and riverboat casinos.
What you won’t see, though, is any mention of laws concerning online gambling. This seems like an open and shut case to us as well as many gaming attorneys.
But some legal minds feel differently. Their case says that because the lawbooks don’t say it’s legal, then it is illegal. This guilty due to omission approach does not hold water. Nowhere in the MD codes of law does it say that using a calculator is legal. Does this mean we have to revert to counting on our fingers?
While we will concede the legality of Maryland online casinos could be more transparent, we stand by our interpretation of the rulebooks. The only laws that address this issue within this jurisdiction are federal statutes. However, these laws only concern casino owners and operators. Unless you’re looking to open your own Maryland online casinos, you have nothing to worry about. All that said, you still have options if you need a more unambiguous answer.
Breaking Down the Legality of Land-Based Casinos in Maryland
Whether you’re looking for table games, slots, or poker, you’ll be pleased with what the state of Maryland allows to operate within its borders.
Here’s the landscape by the numbers:
- 15 casinos
- 11,974 slots and gaming machines
- 488 table games
- 129 live poker tables
- Live gambling offered in 11 cities across MD
According to the Maryland legal codes, gambling’s definition is the following:
“Wagering or betting in any manner to receive something of value dependent upon the result of any race, contest or contingency.”
Live casino action is alive and well in the state of Maryland. According to our understanding of the laws, there are no restrictions on casino games within the state. You are free to play what you want and when you want.
Thankfully, the best Maryland online casinos are picking up the slack.
Predictions for the Future of Maryland Online Casinos
Where does the Maryland online casino market go from here? It’s our prediction that the simple answer is up. In a state where legalized gambling is everywhere, you can expect the same trend to continue when they begin regulating and addressing online casinos.
For now, the best Maryland online casinos can operate without much regulation, which is excellent for them but not ideal for you. It’s the Wild West.
When this happens, they’ll be looking for their cut from the Maryland online casino sites but, in return, will be providing a much safer gaming landscape for you.
We can’t guarantee this will happen or that it will happen anytime soon. But based on our understanding of the market and the recent growth of online poker in the state, the only direction to move is forward. Additionally, recent attempts to fast-track sports betting legislation in Maryland leads us to believe good things are to come.