Despite having a rich history in gaming throughout the lottery and horse racing, Maryland was a late bloomer when it came to casino gaming. However, by passing a law to allow slot machines in 2008, Maryland put the wheels in motion to have casinos built across the state.
The nation’s progress in casino gambling is promising, but from an online perspective Maryland isn’t a great location for sports bettors to reside. While infrequently enforced, Maryland’s laws call for harsh penalties against anyone who places any kind of bet beyond a casino in the state.
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Gaming Laws in Maryland
The Maryland Slot Machines Amendment was on the ballot at Maryland on November 4, 2008. The step gave the state the ability to issue up to five video lottery licenses and place up to 15,000 slot machines across the state in five different locations. If this law passed, Maryland became the 38th state to allow live casino gambling or slot machines.
In 2012, gaming rights in Maryland were enlarged even further. 1 additional casino has been approved to be constructed in addition to the five that were already approved, and table games were permitted to be introduced within these establishments. While before these casinos just served as slot parlors, they could now work more like standard casinos to add table games and poker rooms.
The legalization and expansion of these casinos was a welcome change to the Maryland Code as betting outside of these legal casinos is strictly prohibited. Under Penal Code 12-102,”a individual may not wager, wager, or gamble” in the state of Maryland. Bettors which are captured and convicted are guilty of a misdemeanor which is subject to 6-12 weeks in prison plus a fine of $200 to $1000.
Sports Betting at Maryland
Sports gambling is illegal in the state of Maryland. While most states offer considerably harsher penalties for bookmaking as opposed to gambling, Maryland’s state laws don’t really make specific mention of bookmaking. Rather, anyone who’s partaking in gaming whether they are gambling or getting a wager are from the letter of their law committing a misdemeanor.
Online Betting
Offshore sportsbooks do not fall under the authority of Maryland’s state laws as they are not in the state or the country. As a result, many of them still offer online betting to Maryland citizens despite being illegal in the state.
There are no specific mentions of online gambling anywhere in the Maryland Code, but it would be difficult to argue against its own illegality when all types of”betting, wagering, and gambling” are deemed prohibited and punishable by misdemeanor by the state. Although this law is not a heavily regulated one, residents of Maryland must understand the dangers that have placing bets in the nation and decide for themselves whether they would like to take those risks. With no other sports betting paths accessible, online betting is the only workable alternative Maryland sports bettors have.
Poker and Casino in Maryland
In 2010, the Hollywood Casino at Perryville opened, becoming the first casino in Maryland to open its doors to the public. Ocean Downs at Berlin followed in 2011, the Rocky Gap Casino Resort and the Maryland Live! Casino opened in 2013 and the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opened in 2014. In 2016, the MGM National Harbor will start in Prince George’s County.
The Horseshoe Baltimore has a World Series of Poker themed poker area, but the largest poker room in the state by far is your Maryland Live! Poker Room with More than 50 tables. Both locations offer tournaments and cash games.
Online Poker
As is the case with online sports gambling, many online poker rooms will take company from Maryland residents as they are not under the authority of the state of Maryland. Playing online poker is illegal in the state of Maryland under the definition that any bet or wager is, even though poker isn’t mentioned specifically.
Poker players in Maryland need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of playing online illegally or playing live in the state’s legal casinos. Live games are somewhat more restricted, but players don’t have to worry about being caught either.
Gambling Options in Maryland
Horse racing is alive and well in the state of Maryland with 2 harness race tracks in Ocean Downs and Rosecraft Raceway and three standard race paths at Laurel Park Racecourse, Maryland State Fairgrounds (as soon as the fair is in town) and the Pimlico Race Course. Baltimore’s Pimlico monitor hosts the annual Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Maryland Lottery
The Maryland Lottery has been created in 1973 and is the fourth largest contributor to the nation’s market. The state provides in-state drawings, multi-state drawings including Powerball and Mega Millions, and scratch ticket games.
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