Best sweepstakes & social casinos in Maryland for 2024

The legalities of gambling and sweepstakes in Maryland

Halfway between North and South, the state of Maryland stuns with picturesque landscapes. That’s old-charm America with modern worldviews and hobbies and a lot of regard for the Constitution. So, even though gambling is legal here, online casinos are still waiting for their vote.

Keep reading to learn more about the history of gambling in Little America, the legality of different types of gambling, and potential limitations that may apply. Marylanders are awaiting exciting news about online casinos, so we’ll look at the near future of MD gambling, too.

Legal, allowed, and strictly forbidden gambling activities in Maryland

The first casinos in Maryland opened in the early 2000s after a forty-year freeze-out. Long before prohibition, the state was dubbed Little Vegas and thriving thanks to slot machines. But more of that story later. You surely have a few burning questions that we need to answer now.

First of all, land-based gambling is very much legal in the state of Maryland. Six retail casinos are available across the place, and most of them could easily compete with Atlantic City operators. The Free State is also home to one of the USA’s most prestigious race events – the Preakness Stakes.

So, if you enjoy gambling, Maryland will have you spoiled for options, that’s for sure. However, if you prefer staying home to visiting casinos, tough luck. Online gambling is still mainly illegal in the state despite some bold moves that Maryland has taken over the last few years.

Marylanders voted to legalize online sports betting in 2022 and made their first leap into online gambling. Hoping to catch the momentum, state legislators rapidly proposed the bill for online casinos. SB 267 is waiting for the next elections, which are due in November 2024.

Until then, two alternative options are available in Maryland – one risky and the other one safe. While neither is illegal, social casinos and sweepstakes sites provide an incomparably more sensible gaming experience than the alternative number one – unregulated offshore online casinos.

What makes these offshore casinos incredibly dangerous is the fact that no government oversees their operations. If they refuse to cash out your winnings, there’s no legal way for you to make them pay you out. The state of Maryland will neither prosecute you nor stand in your defense.

Sweepstakes casinos could not be more different than this. Maryland allows these sites because they don’t require you to place a wager to play. Instead, they give you a bunch of virtual coins you can use as a deposit and convert to real money when you cash out.

All sweepstakes sites, except for b spot, are technically legal in Maryland.

Gambling and sweepstakes in Maryland vs neighboring states

Modern-day Maryland is orderly and well-behaved, but it wasn’t always like that. Back in the day, the 7th US state was one of the first to deregulate slot machines. In fact, the first documented forms of gambling in Maryland are as old as the state’s oldest lotteries from the 1700s.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Annapolis, MD, was a famous gambling hotspot. There was a moment in time when Maryland offered as glorious an experience as a day spent in Vegas or Atlantic City. Sadly, the golden era of Maryland gambling ended with the new laws on slots in the 1960s.

The 1960s ban on gambling put Maryland off the gambling map and kept gamblers out of Maryland for 40 long years. The new millennium changed legal thinking, inviting Marylanders to doll up once again and join a grand opening of the Hollywood Casino Perryville in 2010.

Maryland was also one of the first states to legalize paid-entry fantasy sports in 2012 and join the world of online sports betting ten years later, in 2022. Nevertheless, the state still doesn’t allow online casinos, much like its neighbors in Delaware, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

The great news is that sweep coins sites are available almost everywhere in the US, including Maryland. One of the rare states that have decided to ban sweepstakes casinos is the neighboring state of Washington, so watch out for these restrictions if you cross the border.

Where to find current gambling laws and bills in Maryland

Whether you like playing in casinos or online, you must obey the house rules and the state law. Staying in the loop with current regulations while gambling is always the right thing to do. Otherwise, nobody can guarantee a safe environment for you or keep your health and money in check.

Don’t forget – state laws change all the time. If you have the time to read this, you also have the time to get to know the Maryland Code. Everything you need to know about the legal status of gambling and sweepstakes casinos in Little America can be found in the following statutes:

• Maryland Code, Criminal Law, Title 12, Subtitle 1, Section 1-102, et seq;
• Business Regulations, Title 11, Subtitle 1, Section 11-101 et seq;
• Business Regulations, Title 10, Subtitle 5, Section 10-502.

In addition to these governing laws, you should also take a look at the new iGaming bill, SB 267, which is expected to change the state’s stance on online gambling in November 2024.

Even though the Maryland Code does not explicitly mention sweepstakes sites, it defines gambling as “Wagering or betting in any manner to receive something of value dependent upon the result of any race, contest or contingency.” This definition excludes sweep coins casinos.

The main regulatory body in charge of gambling in Maryland is the Maryland State Lottery & Gaming Control Agency. By law, you must be 21 years old or older to play games of luck or skill in Maryland’s land casinos. The same rule applies to online sports betting and sweepstakes.

What to play in Maryland’s sweepstakes casinos 🎰

Maryland has a long-lasting love affair with slot machines, but the players in the state also like playing roulette, blackjack online, and poker. All these casino games are available in Maryland’s brick-and-mortar casinos. If you want to play them online, sweepstake sites are your best option.

Slots

Slots are the star feature in both Maryland casinos and sweepstakes sites available in the state. They come from celebrated developers like High 5 Games, NetEnt, and IGT and offer a fantastic range of premises and themes. Let’s mention Gladiator, Mega Moolah, and Cleopatra. You can find amazing selections of sweepstakes slots at Pulsz casino and High 5 casino.

Poker

For a long time before the early 2000s, Marylanders used to drive to Atlantic City to play poker. Now, Maryland is a popular poker hotspot itself and hosts many high-profile World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker tournaments. Poker online is just as loved in the state. Some of the best poker games can be found at Golden Hearts Games and Global Poker.

Roulette

Roulette is a crowd favorite because it’s fun and easy to play. You can find it in all MD retail casinos, but don’t expect a lot of game variety. If you want to try American, European, or French Roulette, look online. Remember, online roulette is legal only when you play it for sweeps.

Roulette is available at Stake.us, BetRivers.net casino, and Rush Games.

How to pick the best legal sweepstakes casinos in Maryland

We have an abundance of great sweepstakes casinos on the Maryland market today, but that doesn’t always mean that finding the best one is easy. On the contrary. There are a lot of factors at play, many of them highly subjective. Not to mention qualities like legality and legitimacy.

In fact, nothing is more important when choosing an online casino or a sweepstakes site. Always check a casino’s operating license and the regulatory body behind it before you subscribe and claim the welcome bonus. If they are nowhere to be found, that’s usually a sign to move on.

Other factors to consider when choosing a Maryland sweepstake site are:

• Game quality – Some of the best sweepstakes games from various categories come from developers like Microgaming, NetEnt, EGT, High 5 Games, and Playtech.
• Bonus offers – Welcome bonuses, daily login refills, and off-site promotional events like social media competitions are part of the fun. The more of them, the better. 
• Casino design – A great sweepstakes site should offer an immersive iGaming experience combined with classic casino staples and make it easy and accessible. 
• How you pay – Sweepstakes casinos often allow players to withdraw real money, so they are expected to have fast, convenient, and secure payment options. 
• 24/7 support – You can tell a lot about a business by looking at its customer support. The same goes for casinos and sweepstakes sites, where help is always welcome. 
• Self-exclusion – Maryland has a lot of government initiatives for responsible gambling, and you should expect nothing less from your sweepstakes game provider. 

Sources

• (2023, Apr 09). Maryland’s Long History with Legalized Gaming has had its Ups and Downs. Eye On Annapolis.
• State of Play. American Gaming Association.
• FindLaw’s Team. (2018, Mar 07). Maryland Gambling Laws. FindLaw.
• Maryland Online Gambling News. Play Maryland.