Marylanders voted in favor of the terminals in a 2008 constitutional referendum that capped the maximum number of VLTs to 15,000 across five locations. Individuals who fail to pay their fines within thirty days after being caught may suffer the maximum penalty.Įlectronic table games and video lottery terminals (VLTs) are legal in the Old Line State and are regulated under Section §9-1A-01 of the Maryland Code. Playing and betting on illegal gaming devices constitutes a civil offense and comes with fines that range from $500 to $1,000. According to Title 12, Subtitle 1, §12-102, keeping, renting, or using buildings and sailing vessels to run illegal bookmaking or gambling is against the law in Baltimore City.Ĭommitting this misdemeanor can cost the violators up to $5,000 in fines and/or half a year in jail.

individuals and businesses can only organize them with authorization. Bingo games, chance books, paddle-wheel games, and wheel of fortune are also categorized as gambling devices, according to the law.Ĭarnivals, raffles, bazaars, and all other enterprises where such devices are being operated are labeled gaming events, i.e. The category includes gaming tables for chance-based games where the players risk real money or anything else of value, but excludes billiard games. The Maryland Criminal Law §12-101 contains a rather broad definition of gambling devices. Retail sports betting launched in December 2021, while the first mobile sportsbooks are expected to go live sometime in 2022. While online casinos remain illegal in Maryland for the time being, the state made significant progress toward interactive gambling expansion in 2021. Maryland was one of the first states to start regulating daily fantasy sports (DFS) in 2017. The state legislature legalized table games in 2012, allowing for wagers on casino classics like roulette, craps, baccarat, blackjack, and banked stud poker. Numerous gambling options are legally available to residents, including slots, video poker, and tournament poker.

The venues provide jobs to over 15,300 Marylanders and reported $1.93 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2021. The other five brick-and-mortar gaming venues are located in Flintstone, Perryville, Baltimore, Hanover, and Berlin. The Old Line State has six commercial casinos, the last of which, MGM National Harbor, commenced operation at the end of 2016. But racetracks are not the only locations in Maryland where gambling takes place. Maryland has a rich gambling history and a long-established horse racing tradition, being home to legendary thoroughbred racetracks like Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course.

Maryland live casino table games rules