Sweepstakes casinos are still open to you in Maryland, but Governor Wes Moore wants that fixed. He put the 2026 ban on the table himself; the House passed it twice, and the Senate killed it both times in committee. The regulator has been firing off letters since 2024 that operators keep tossing in the bin.
While the standoff drags on, we’ve got your back: our top picks for Maryland, what to do if your site goes quiet on you, and the brands that already packed up.
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Every site on this list passed our cashout, free entry, and deposit-pressure checks. The rest didn’t make it.
How We Rate
You can still play sweepstakes casinos from Maryland, but you are almost certainly living on borrowed time. The only thing keeping the door open is a Senate committee. Twice in 2026, the House voted overwhelmingly to ban the industry, and both times the bills stalled in that committee and died when the session closed in April. The state’s gambling regulator wants them gone, too, and it has fired off dozens of cease and desist letters since 2024. Most sites just ignored them, so, for now, the major brands still take your Maryland signup.
Check the first table for how the law picture looks like, then the second to see what you should know about your situation as a player.
| Are sweepstakes casinos illegal in Maryland? | No, but the regulator says they are. No state law bans sweepstakes, but the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) classifies them as unauthorized gambling under Maryland Criminal Law Article 12-101. |
| Did Maryland try to ban sweepstakes in 2026? | Yes, twice. HB 295 passed the House 105-24, and HB 1226 passed 134-2. Both died in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. |
| Has Maryland tried to ban sweepstakes before? | Yes. HB 295 is a reintroduction of HB 1140 (2025), which also failed. The MLGCA has now backed two consecutive failed attempts to legislate the ban. |
| Why did the 2026 ban bills fail? | The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee took no action on either bill before the session ended on April 13, 2026. The committee held a hearing on April 1 but didn’t vote. No public reason was given. |
| Is anyone trying to shut down sweepstakes sites? | Yes, the MLGCA. It has sent 89 cease-and-desist letters to operators since 2024. About a quarter of recipients have complied. |
| Why are sweepstakes sites still operating in Maryland? | Maryland has no licensed online casino market to protect, and the MLGCA has limited tools beyond cease-and-desist letters. Operators have calculated they can ignore the letters without immediate consequences. |
| Will Maryland try to ban sweepstakes again? | Likely yes, in 2027. Governor Wes Moore (who originated HB 295’s request) has said he’d sign a ban. With MLGCA backing and demonstrated House majorities, the 2026 failure was procedural. |
| What can I legally play in Maryland? | Six commercial casinos, online sports betting (legal since 2022), the Maryland Lottery, and charitable gaming. No online casinos. |
| Can I sign up to a sweepstakes site in Maryland? | Some. Many smaller brands still accept your signup from Maryland. |
| Will I get in trouble as a player? | No. There’s no legal ground in Maryland to charge a player for sweepstakes participation. The MLGCA targets operators. |
| Could the sites I use leave Maryland suddenly? | Yes. If the MLGCA escalates enforcement or if 2027 ban bills pass, operators could exit quickly. Your account access could change in weeks. |
| Will a VPN help? | No. Sites verify your location at every login and close accounts that try to mask it. |
| What if my account or balance disappears? | Limited recourse. Contact the brand you had your account with through their support page. If they don’t respond, file a complaint with the FTC. |
| Do I owe taxes on my winnings? | Yes, federal and state. Tax law treats sweepstakes winnings as taxable income. Report filed on Schedule 1; Maryland taxes them at the state’s graduated rate (top 5.75% state, plus 2.25%-3.20% local county tax). |
Sweepstakes casinos that pulled out of Maryland
Compare Maryland to its neighboring states.
Because the letters carry a threat, operators do not fear. Since 2024, the MLGCA has sent eighty nine cease and desist letters, and only about a quarter of recipients complied. Maryland has no licensed online casino market behind the regulator, so its tools stop at the letter itself. Operators have run the math and decided the risk of staying is low. Compare that to Michigan, where felony penalties emptied the market in months.
Because each operator weighs the same weak threat differently. Big names like Chumba and McLuck left after the MLGCA letters, protecting their standing in other states. Stayed around ten platforms, betting that letters with no real teeth carry no real cost. The split comes down to how much each brand values caution over a still open market. So, in 2026, Maryland sits half emptied, the careful gone, and the bold holding on.
Close to it, because everything but one committee already lines up. In 2026, the House passed two ban bills by lopsided margins, HB 295 at 105 to 24 and HB 1226 at 134 to 2. Governor Wes Moore backed HB 295 and said he would sign a ban into law. Both bills died only because Senate Budget and Taxation took no action before the April 13, 2026, deadline. That kind of procedural block rarely survives a second session, so a 2027 ban is the strong bet.
