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Summary:
- Up to 12 casinos may be allowed online.
- The House bill does not connect iGaming licenses to physical casinos.
- Senate Bill 603 seeks similar online casino approvals.
Maryland lawmakers are working overtime to bring online casino gaming to the state. So far this year, we have seen two bills introduced, one in the Senate and one in the House.
The second measure, House Bill 1319, was introduced this month and will be discussed in the House Ways and Means Committee on February 26.
House Bill 1319 Details
The new House bill differs slightly from the first online casino measure introduced via Senate Bill 603. With the House measure, the state would see up to 12 online casino licenses awarded. The licenses would not be connected to land-based casinos in the state, one way the bill differs from the Senate measure.
The House bill has a tax of 20% on live dealer games and 55% on other online casino gaming. This is quite high compared to other states. The Senate measures places a 47% tax. Members of the House want to see online casino license holders pay $1 million in licensing fees with a renewal fee paid every five years.
It is unclear how much the renewal fee will be, and most likely, this amount will be worked out as the measure is under discussion.
Moving Forward
Now that there is a House and Senate bill proposed in Maryland, the dueling measures will both try to legalize online casino gaming in the state. Each bill will be heard at the end of the month, within two days of each other.
So far this year, Maryland is in the running to become the next state in the US that will most likely legalize online casino services. The legislature will be in office through early April, which leaves plenty of time to review the measures.
Once the committee hearings occur, voting can occur, and the measures can move forward to the next step. Both will have to be heard by the full chamber and passed to make any headway. Any measure that is approved will then appear on the November ballot.
Residents of Maryland will need to approve the new gaming option; if passed into law, we wouldn’t see services launch until sometime in 2025. Right now, the only online gambling options in Maryland are sports betting. The state features retail sports betting as well as commercial casino gaming.
It will be interesting to see how both measures fare at the end of the month and if any headway is made to see Maryland become the next state to offer legalized iGaming.
