Over in the Old Line State, Maryland lawmakers are renewing a push to legalize internet gambling in the state per a national report. House Bill 1319, Internet Gaming – Authorization and Implementation, is the latest proposed legislation to establish a regulated online gambling system in Maryland. The legislation is sponsored by Maryland Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary. Per the bill and the same article, the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission will issue internet gaming licenses to qualified applicants, which would include casinos, licenses sports betting facilities, and other businesses. Moreover, the bill establishes a licensing process, with the first round of licenses reserved for social equity applicants, including businesses with 33% minority ownership.
For this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from the latest gaming news coming from the state of Maryland along with some additional thoughts and notes only at SBS.
Noted in the same report, under the proposed legislation, revenue from online gambling would be transferred to the State Lottery Fund, with licensees retaining 80% of the proceeds from live dealer games, and 45% of the proceeds from all other internet gaming. The remaining funds would be distributed to several state programs as well in the area. For the first 12 months that internet gaming is in operation, up to $10 million will be allocated to the Video Lottery Facility Employee Displacement Fund (that’s a mouthful), which would support workers at existing casinos who lose their jobs or face reduced work hours due to the expansion of Internet gaming.
Funding, the CBS report notes, would also be allocated for local jurisdictions where physical casinos are located. The amount each jurisdiction receives would be based on its share of overall gross revenue generated by video lottery terminals, or online gaming machines placed in casinos. Additionally, the overall pool available to local jurisdictions would increase each year. The article notes how much would be available and can be seen as follows: $6.5 million in FY 2026, $8.3 million in FY 2027, $10 million in FY 2028, $11.3 million in FY 2029, and $11.4 million in FY 2030. Moreover, 1% of all proceeds would go to the State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency for regulatory activities and investigations, and an additional 1% would go to the state’s Problem Gambling Fund.
Counties would also receive 1% for education programs, with the distribution based on the population of students. The remainder of the funds would go towards education reform, through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund. Revenue from sports betting already goes toward the fund. As of December 2024, more than $116 million in funding from sports betting had gone there.
This is not the first time lawmakers have attempted to legalize internet gambling in Maryland, the same report notes. Senate Bill 603, which was proposed in 2024, aimed to legalize online poker and casino games. That bill, which was backed by Senator Ron Watson, got pushback over concerns that it would worsen gambling addiction. The bill did not advance.
In other state gaming news, Maryland casinos generated more than $151.8 million in gaming revenue in January, down 0.9 percent compared to $153.2 million reported in January 2024. Additionally, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming report also revealed Maryland’s six casinos contributed $63.7 million to the state last month, a 0.8 percent increase from the previous year. Of this, $45.9 million went towards the state’s Education Trust Fund, up 0.7 percent from January 2023. Out of the $153.2 million total, video lottery terminals produced more than $100.5 million in gross terminal revenue, and table games generated $51.2 million.
Additionally, three casinos reported revenue increases in January. Rocky Gap Casino had the largest year-over-year growth, generating $3.3 million in revenue, a 3.8 percent increase. This was followed by MGM National Harbor Casino, which produced more than $67.5 million last month, the highest out of all six casinos, and a 2.3 percent increase from January 2024 the report notes. Hollywood Casino reported $6.6 million, a one percent increase. Live! Casino and Hotel, Horseshoe Casino, and Ocean Downs Casino all reported a decline in revenue with Horseshoe Casino having the biggest year-over-year decrease, a 7.8 percent drop. Finally, Maryland’s casino gaming revenue also had a monthly decrease of 7.5 percent, dropping from $164.1 million in December 2024.
After you are all dialed in relation to the latest gambling news and updates coming from the Old Line State, make sure to check out the excellent array of info for you only at SBS. Of course, for additional notes regarding the location at hand, the Maryland sports betting guide has your back with all of the most recent gaming news concerning the region. Additionally, for those who are eligible and qualify, the best betting apps rundown is a fantastic page that covers the nuances of mobile betting and how you can eligibly stay on top of the action. Finally, for those interested in diversifying their deposit and withdrawal options, look no further than the payment methods breakdown. On this page, you can learn more about the variety of payment options available to you from crypto to more traditional banking routes and beyond.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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