Maryland
Despite having a rich history in gaming throughout the lottery and horse racing, Maryland was a late bloomer when it came to casino gambling. However, by passing a law to permit slot machines 2008, Maryland put the wheels in motion to get casinos built across the state.
The nation’s progress in casino gaming is promising, however from an online perspective Maryland is not a fantastic place for sports bettors to live. While rarely enforced, Maryland’s laws call for harsh penalties against anyone who puts any kind of wager outside of a casino in the state.
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Gambling Laws in Maryland
The Maryland Slot Machines Amendment was on the ballot in Maryland on November 4, 2008. The step gave the state the authority to issue up to five video lottery licenses and set 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 gaming or slot machines.
In 2012, gaming rights in Maryland were enlarged even further. 1 extra casino was approved to be built in addition to the five that were approved, and table games were allowed to be introduced into these establishments. While before these casinos just served as slot parlors, they might now function more like standard casinos to add table games and poker rooms.
The legalization and expansion of these casinos has been a welcome change to the Maryland Code as betting outside of these legal casinos is strictly prohibited. Under Penal Code 12-102,”a person might not wager, wager, or gamble” from the state of Maryland. Bettors which are captured and convicted are guilty of a misdemeanor which is subject to 6-12 months in prison plus a fine of $200 to $1000.
Sports Betting at Maryland
Sports betting is illegal in the state of Maryland. While the majority of states offer considerably harsher penalties for bookmaking as opposed to betting, Maryland’s state laws do not really make specific reference of bookmaking. Instead, anyone who is partaking in gambling whether they’re gambling or receiving a bet are by the letter of their law committing a misdemeanor.
Online Betting
Offshore sportsbooks don’t fall under the authority of Maryland’s state legislation since they’re not from the nation or the nation. Consequently, many still offer you online gambling to Maryland residents despite being illegal in the nation.
There are no specific mentions of online gambling anywhere in the Maryland Code, but it would be hard to argue against its own illegality when all types of”gambling, wagering, and gambling” are deemed illegal and punishable by misdemeanor by the state. While this legislation isn’t a heavily controlled one, citizens of Maryland have to understand the dangers that come with placing bets in the state and decide for themselves whether they would like to take those risks. With no other sports betting paths accessible, online betting is the only viable option Maryland sports bettors possess.
Poker and Casino at Maryland
In 2010, the Hollywood Casino in Perryville opened, becoming the first casino in Maryland to open its doors to the general public. Ocean Downs in Berlin followed in 2011, the Rocky Gap Casino Resort and the Maryland Live! Casino started in 2013 and the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opened in 2014. In 2016, the MGM National Harbor will open in Prince George’s County.
The Horseshoe Baltimore has a World Series of Poker themed poker room, 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 true for online sports betting, several internet poker rooms will take company from Maryland residents since they aren’t under the jurisdiction of the state of Maryland. Playing online poker is illegal in the state of Maryland under the definition that any wager or bet is, even if poker isn’t mentioned specifically.
Poker players in Maryland need to weigh the pros and cons of playing online playing or illegally live in the nation’s legal casinos. Live games are more limited, but players do not need to worry about being caught .
Other Gaming 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 established in 1973 and is the fourth largest contributor to the state’s market. The country provides in-state drawings, multi-state drawings such as Powerball and Mega Millions, and scratch ticket games.
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