Sportsbooks are now offering sign-up bonuses as a way to get people interested in mobile betting in Maryland. Below are all the offers currently available to customers in Maryland. This table will be regularly updated as new offers are announced.

Maryland Sports Betting

Voters in Maryland approved sports betting in November 2020, the legislature passed and the governor signed into law legislation outlining the regulatory structure, and the rulemaking agencies finished their work in July 2021. But mobile sports betting didn’t arrive in the state until November 2022. Mobile sports betting is legal in the state but operators have just begun applying for licenses. This is like someone asking you at a bbq if you want a hot dog and when you say yes, no one gives you a hot dog. Betting is legal, so why is it still delayed? Like so many other things, mobile betting took a long time to come to Maryland partly because of COVID. 

Legalizing sports betting was discussed by legislative leaders in Maryland since PASPA was overturned in 2018. It was not a huge leap for the state; Maryland already has six casinos and is home to the second-largest horse racing industry in the country. Residents of the Old Line State are supportive of gambling and have consistently voted to expand gambling laws, most recently to include sports betting. That support so far hadn’t resulted in much meaningful legislative action, until 2020. 

Action on Legalization

Back in November 2020, over two-thirds of Maryland voters approved “the expansion of commercial gaming in the State of Maryland to authorize sports and events betting for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education.” This was a key step on the path to sports betting being legalized because the Maryland constitution requires any expansion of gambling in the state to be approved by a public vote. 

What the voters did not approve was a regulatory framework to go with legalized sports betting. Legislators in Annapolis were working on a sports betting bill in early 2020, but with time running out due to the emerging COVID threat, they decided to punt on anything besides a simple yes/no question presented to the voters. The plan was to come back to the issue and finish hashing out a regulatory framework in 2021 if voters approved the expansion of sports betting in the state.

With the public vote secured, the hard work began in early 2021. Since the ballot initiative did not include any specific regulatory framework for sports betting aside from naming the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission as the regulator, the legislature still had to pass a bill that creates such a framework. Almost everything else, including who is allowed to apply for licenses, was decided by the legislature. 

Legislative Activity

In February 2021, Representative Adrienne Jones, the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, introduced legislation that would provide the necessary framework to implement legalized sports betting in the state. The bill, HR 940, was introduced by the House Speaker and passed after a great deal of negotiation and compromise. It laid the groundwork for what became the sports betting rules that all sportsbooks must now abide by. Let’s go over what is in and out of the sports betting regulations:

What’s In

Casinos – All six of Maryland’s casinos are eligible to apply for a sports betting license.

Racetracks – All of the horse racing tracks in Maryland are eligible to apply for a sports betting license.

Sports teams – Sports teams in the state are eligible to have sports betting kiosks at their stadiums (open only on game days).

Remote registration – In-person registration is not required for anyone signing up for a new online/mobile account.

Encouraging women and minorities to get involved in sports betting – The legislation explicitly says that the approved regulatory structure must “maximize the ability of minority and women-owned businesses to participate in the sports wagering industry.”

Mobile sports betting operators – Under the legislation, state regulators are authorized to issue licenses to many mobile operators that aren’t necessarily traditional gaming companies. This is good news for operators who don’t have a deal lined up with an existing casino or racetrack. It is also good news for bettors in Maryland, who will likely have a robust, competitive marketplace to look forward to.

Education in Maryland – Revenue generated by legalizing sports betting will go to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, a dedicated fund to support educational opportunities in the state.

What’s Out

Other states having a monopoly on legal betting options for Marylanders – The ballot approval and pending legislation are bad news for Delaware; Pennsylvania; Virginia; Washington, DC; and West Virginia. Every state/district bordering Maryland currently offers legal online sports betting, and the operators there are probably the only ones unhappy with the possibility of online betting coming to the state.

Low taxes – The proposed tax rate for online operators is 15 percent for the first $5 million and 17.5 percent thereafter. Retail operators have a straight 15 percent tax. This is on the higher end of state tax rates on sports betting, but still far below Pennsylvania’s 36 percent tax. The high-ish tax rate is unlikely to deter operators from entering the state, however.

In-person betting offered at racetracks when there is no live racing – Laurel Park and Pimlico are the two major horse tracks in Maryland. They both offer live racing throughout the year but are also open almost every day, offering in-person simulcast betting. Not being able to offer sports betting at their facility may be frustrating for them, but with the explosion of online gaming, the financial implications are likely limited if they end up with a mobile skin. 

In-person betting offered at sports stadiums when there is no game being played that day – Similar to horse tracks, sports betting can be offered at pro sports stadiums in the state, but only on the day of the event. So you can potentially bet on the Orioles at a kiosk at Camden Yards during the game, but you can’t go there to bet when the team is on the road. 

BetMGM – MGM National Harbor

If odds on BetMGM coming to Maryland were offered, they would have been at least -10000. MGM National Harbor is the most popular and well-known casino in the state, operating just a few miles from downtown Washington, DC and across the Wilson Bridge from Virginia. The casino, which cost over $1 billion to build, already attracts millions of visitors each year (or did, anyway, pre-COVID), being a short drive away from DC and Virginia and within walking distance of the enormous Gaylord National Harbor convention center. A sportsbook and online betting “skin” is a natural extension of the existing casino and something locals and investors have been counting on since the facility was completed in 2016. They finally got their wish when the huge retail sportsbook opened in December 2021 and the BetMGM app arrived in November 2022.

Caesars Sportsbook – Horseshoe Casino

The Horseshoe Casino is located just south of downtown Baltimore, within walking distance of the Ravens’ stadium. Horseshoe is an iconic casino brand now owned by Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Sportsbook operates in many states, including New Jersey, Delaware, Indiana, West Virginia, and Iowa. It also opened the first sports book inside a professional sports facility, located at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, just 45 minutes straight down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway from the Horseshoe. Caesars Sportsbook (the app) is now in Maryland, months after the company opened its retail sportsbook at the Horseshoe Casino in December 2021.

TBA – Ocean Downs

Ocean Downs opened as a harness track in 1949. It has been part of the Ocean City, Maryland community for decades. Now the track is more of a casino than anything else, but live racing is still offered there during parts of the year. Ocean Downs is owned by Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), which owns many horse tracks across the country. Many of those tracks also have casinos, and many of those casinos have become mobile sports betting operators. See how this all fits together? Since Ocean Downs is authorized to have a sports betting license under the pending legislation, we will likely see CDI partner with a mobile operator. CDI used to operate the TwinSpires mobile betting app, but it was not successful and the company is phasing it out. However, CDI does operate a retail sportsbook at Ocean Downs, opening its doors in December 2021.

FanDuel – Live! Casino and Hotel

The Cordish Company owns several Live! Casino and Hotel properties, including one in Philadelphia and one in Arundel Mills, which is between Baltimore and DC. Both properties have a partnership with FanDuel, and both have FanDuel retail sportsbooks at their locations. This is a huge get for Cordish because FanDuel is the most popular sportsbook in Pennsylvania and will likely be a top mobile sportsbook in Maryland as well.

PointsBet – Riverboat on the Potomac

Riverboat on the Potomac is actually in Colonial Beach, Virginia. But it is technically on the Potomac River, which is technically in Maryland, so the facility qualifies for a Maryland sports betting license. In an unexpected development, Riverboat on the Potomac partnered with PointsBet and opened a PointsBet-branded retail sportsbook at its property in December 2021. PointsBet is Australian-based and has had a great deal of success in several states, including New Jersey, Iowa, Colorado, and Indiana. PointsBet should do pretty well at the Riverboat retail location and will also be a competitive mobile operator in the state.

BetRivers – Bingo World

Yes, there is a real place called Bingo World. It’s in Baltimore, and BetRivers is now the official partner of Bingo World. A retail sportsbook just opened up at Bingo World in August 2022 and the partnership led to BetRivers being available in Maryland.

Betfred – Long Shot’s OTB

Long Shot’s is an off-track betting facility in Frederick, Maryland. In August 2022, the company announced a partnership with Betfred to bring the sportsbook to Maryland. This partnership will include a retail sportsbook along with online wagering.

BetPARX – Greenmount OTB

BetPARX is a very popular online casino in Pennsylvania that is the online offshoot of the even more popular PARX retail casino mini-chain. Greenmount OTB is located in the Greenmount Station restaurant in Hampstead, MD, a small city northwest of Baltimore. Their partnership will bring betPARX to the people of Maryland. No word yet on if the agreement includes a retail sportsbook.

Fanatics Sportsbook – Washington Commanders

Fanatics Sportsbook is now available in Maryland, and offering bettors the chance to bet $10 a day and get enough FanCash for a jersey or other merch. They found a retail partner in the Washington Commanders, who play their games in Prince George’s County, Maryland, right outside of DC. Fanatics opened its very first retail sportsbook at FedEx Field, home of the Commanders, and now offers its mobile app in the state as well.

DraftKings – Baltimore Ravens

DraftKings will be in Maryland and has announced a partnership with the Baltimore Ravens, the state’s most popular sports team. No word yet on whether this agreement includes a retail sportsbook at M&T Bank Stadium, where the team plays its home games.

SuperBook Sports – Baltimore Orioles

SuperBook Sports made Maryland its sixth state of operation due to the sportsbook’s recently announced partnership with the Baltimore Orioles. This partnership will include a retail sportsbook that will be constructed at Camden Yards, the team’s stadium.

Types of Bets Offered

The following types of bets will be available to mobile bettors in Maryland:

History of Gambling in Maryland

Horse Racing

You probably know that the Preakness Stakes is held each May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. It is the biggest sporting event on the East Coast, attracting well over 100,000 people each year, many of whom are horse racing fans but many more of whom are there to enjoy the infield festivities. These include rock concerts and long lines for refreshments (the Black Eyed Susan is the official cocktail of the Preakness). 

What you may not know is that Maryland has a long, storied history of horse racing and has the second-largest horse racing industry in the country, behind only Kentucky. There are two major horse tracks in the state, Pimlico and Laurel Park, but there have been others throughout the years. Rosecroft Raceway and Ocean Downs used to attract large crowds to their harness races; now they are more known for simulcast betting and casino games. 

If you visit any of the tracks, you can quickly imagine the massive grandstands being filled with excited bettors decades ago. Leaders of the horse racing industry in the state understand the need to innovate in order to survive, so they have excitedly pushed for legalized casino and sports betting to come to the tracks in order to preserve racing in the state. Horse tracks qualify for a sports betting license and can also offer in-person betting on live racing days.

Casinos

Like many states, not long ago Maryland used only to have horse racing as an available option for gambling. In fact, there were few casinos anywhere on the east coast outside of Atlantic City. As recently as the early 2000s, gambling was very limited in most states. Not anymore! Casinos are seemingly everywhere now, and Maryland voters decided in 2008 to bring casino gambling to their state. There are currently six casinos operating in Maryland, all of which qualify for a sports betting license under the pending legislation. 

FAQ

Is mobile sports betting available in Maryland?

Yes! To recap, sports betting was legalized by Maryland voters in 2020 in an overwhelming vote. The regulatory framework was finalized by legislators in the form of legislation signed into law by the Governor in April 2021. The rulemaking process was done in the summer of 2021, but delays have pushed mobile betting back until late fall 2022. A handful of retail sportsbooks opened across the state in December 2021 prior to online wagering finally becoming an option in November 2022.

What sports can I bet on?

How about all of them? All the major professional and college sports in the United States, anyway, are available to bet on. Additionally, many international sports like cricket, rugby, Australian Rules Football, and even darts are offered on FanDuel and other major sports betting sites. Whatever your sport, you can bet on it in Maryland.

How do I know my deposits will be safe and my money will be accessible?

Sometimes life happens and you need to withdraw some of your bankroll to pay for an unexpected expense. Rest assured, your account will be secure and your money will be available for withdrawal upon operator approval. The regulatory framework discussed earlier includes safeguards for customer deposits. All sportsbooks are regulated by the states in which they operate. These regulations include clear language on how customer funds are safeguarded and what options are available for withdrawal. Your money is safe and secure in a legal, regulated sportsbook operating in Maryland. 

How can I deposit and withdraw funds?

The exact methods for deposits and withdrawals are determined by the individual sportsbooks, but most operators allow for transactions to be done by credit card, debit card, ACH transfers, Play+ branded prepaid cards, cash at casino cages, and online payment processors like PayPal. These options are available for both withdrawals and deposits.