In the state of Maryland there is a wide variety of casino and resorts available. The industry is expanding, so you can expect new developments and plenty of action on land. Maryland is particularly famous and popular for its horse racing.
Also available are games of charity – which includes raffles, bingo and draws. And the lottery – Mega Millions and Powerball.
Sports betting has yet to enter the discussion of legalization and regulation, and in this regards it is behind most US States in liberalization.
All forms of online and mobile gaming, similar to sports betting has yet to be legalized and regulated.
Maryland’s gaming industry in 2018 was a watershed year in terms of unbelievable industry success. This has spurned a reinvestment by existing casino operators to expand and develop further their operations.
In 2018, the record for single month of gaming revenue generated was broken twice. With the growth in the industry, this has create more jobs and more opportunities, such as cleaning, food and beverages and other services. MGM Harbor is the most successful of all the Maryland casinos.
Top 10 Maryland Casinos Online
| CASINO | RATING | BONUS | PLAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vegas Casino Online | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 400% up to $10,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 2 |  Slots Plus Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 200% up to $7,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 3 |  Las Vegas USA | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 400% up to $10,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 4 |  Cafe Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 250% up to $2,500 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 5 |  Rich Palms Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 250% + 100% Cashback Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 6 |  Las Atlantis Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 280% up to $14,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 7 |  Red Dog Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 225% up to $12,250 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 8 |  El Royale Casino | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 250% up to $12,500 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 9 |  Slots Empire | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 220% up to $12,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
| 10 |  Bovada | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 100% up to $3,000 Welcome Bonus | PLAY NOW |
Most Popular – Vegas Casino Online
Vegas Casino Online has many aspects that makes it very popular among players. It has a Welcome Package that is quite competitive, yet also offers quality gaming that is diverse. Partnering RealTime Gaming and Visionary iGaming, players can be assured of a great gaming experience. In addition, banking methods include bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency, credit cards, prepaid cards and wire transfer.
- Quality gaming
- Bitcoin, alt coins, credit cards, debit cards and bank transfers accepted
- Trusted
Best Live Casino – Las Vegas USA
Las Vegas USA is commonly known for its Live Casino play. Combining Visionary iGaming on its platform, its choice of games hosted by live dealers is impressive. Multi in-picture viewing and unique side betting enhances the playing experience. Lastly the Welcome Bonus is very competitive compared to other online casinos in Maryland.
- An integrated platform with Visionary iGaming
- Hosted Live Dealer games offer side bet features
- Welcome Bonus is very good
Best Slot Games – Slots Plus Casino
Determining the best slot casino is difficult, because there are many available. Our recommendation, however, is Slots Plus – a MainStreet Vegas brand. It has a wide range of slot themes, different denominations, reels and free spin perks. Having said that, there are many others like Red Dog, Cafe Casino, Bovada which also have a good slot selection.
- Trusted brand of MainStreet Vegas Group
- Various themes, denominations and reels
- Can’t go wrong with also choosing other online casinos in the top 10.
Editor’s Favorite – Las Atlantis
Maryland offers a good selection of online casinos, therefore choosing my favorite is between Cafe Casino and Las Atlantis.
Cafe Casino offers something different in partnering several iGaming software providers that isn’t RealTime Gaming. It therefore offers something refreshing.
Las Atlantis on the other hand is a well designed platform that is reliable for gaming. Playing is very smooth, fast and exciting. It also has one of the highest Welcome Packages on offer.
- Las Atlantis Package of 280% up to $14,000
- Cafe Casino has games that aren’t RealTime Gaming.
- Refreshingly different
Maryland Online Gambling
Maryland remains in the status quo of illegality for online gambling. This includes online casinos, poker and sports betting. Due to the ambiguity of the law, and that there is no licensing and regulatory framework within Maryland, this prevents local online casinos from existing and operating.
BUT as a resident of Maryland you can play on offshore online casinos. This is one of the quirks in the current US Federal and State Laws.
Maryland ranks as the 15th in the US for playing at offshore online casinos. Wagering an estimated $18.5 million per year, it ranks just above Minnesota and behind North Carolina. The state with the largest wagering for offshore online casino is California at $180 million.
Maryland Slot Machines and Ownership
There are six land based casinos that offer slot gaming in the form of video lottery terminals (VLT). Other forms of slots machines are not available in Maryland on land but on an international casino cruise ship reels, VIP denominations and other forms will be available.
Slots are regulated to have a long term pay out ratio of 88%
Lastly owning a slot machine is permitted in Maryland if it is 25 years or older. The intention of this law is to prevent private ownership of slot machines to be used for gambling revenue purposes, but rather as a form of hobby.
Overview of Maryland Casinos
Maryland has 15 casinos in which you’ll find more than 12,477 slots and gaming machines. There are a total of 487 table games
Maryland Casinos
MGM Casino – National Harbor
101 MGM National Ave, Oxon Hill, Maryland
The resort features a casino that covers a floor area of 125,000-square-foot offering more than 3,300 electronic games and 140 gaming tables. It also offers a poker room with 39 poker tables featuring poker cash games and tournaments. Great atmosphere and awesome vegan food.
Website: mgmnationalharbor.com
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore
1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, Maryland
The casino floor covers 2-stories and holds a 122,000 square feet of gaming space with 2500 gaming machines, 100 table games, 25 poker tables and a World Series of Poker room. It is Maryland’s second largest casino. Great atmosphere, great place to meet people, watch the games and get drinks after hours!
Live! Casino & Hotel
7002 Arundel Mills Circle #7777, Hanover, Maryland
The casino boasts approx. 4,000 slots and video poker machines, dozens of dealer-assist electronic table games and more than 200 live action table games and a new Super 4 Blackjack Progressive wager, and a 50-table poker room spreading Hold’em. Omaha, and 7 Stud. Great place to eat hangout and be around people.
Rocky Gap Casino Resort
16701 Lakeview Road Northeast, Cumberland, Maryland
The AAA 4-Diamond resort features a casino with over 500 game machines, 10 tables, and a poker room with three tables spreading Texas Hold’em. Friendly staff, variety of machines and table games, good eateries.
Casino at Ocean Downs
10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, Maryland
The facility has 34,000 square feet of gaming space with 800 electronic machines and ten gaming tables. Great place to gamble a bit, eat some good food and have drinks.
Hollywood Casino Perryville
1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, Maryland
It was the first casino to open in the state on September 17, 2010. The casino has a gaming floor of 75,000 square feet with over 1,148 video lottery terminal slot and poker machines, 12 gaming tables and an eight table poker room. Nice quiet atmosphere, staff always pleasant.
Sports Betting
2019 was a disappointing year for sports betting fans in Maryland. Politicians voted against the legalization of sports betting, going against the tide of which other US States are following. With this set back, it is at earliest 2020 that sports betting may be challenged again to become legal. Don’t hold your breath waiting, because history has shown that sports betting is not what senators want in this state.
Daily Fantasy Sports
DFS is legal in Maryland, with an inordinate number of online DFS accepting Maryland players. DFS became legal in 2012, one of the first states to legalize.
State Lottery
The Maryland lottery offers both inter-state and locally run lottery. Games include the inter-state games of Mega Millions, Powerball and Cash for Life. The lottery has raised over $1 billion year on year, with approximately half being returned as prize money.
Gambling Laws
Maryland law have been in a slow state of change, from being extremely conservative to one that is becoming more liberal. In the past casinos have been declared illegal, and any table games were prohibited. But that has changed in the past fifteen years. Land based casinos began as small venues, but have since expanded to be closer to the size of casinos and hotels in Las Vegas! This is no small feat, and perhaps an indicator of further change to come (just not for sports betting though).
Maryland law defines gambling as any wager or bet that involves something of value that is dependent on the outcome of an event, which may be a game, race or contest. It is with this broad definition of gambling that historically Maryland was a conservative state. However, throughout time, many exceptions have been made to this broad blank ban.
Bordering States
Delaware | Pennsylvania | Virginia | West Virginia
Other Articles You Might Like
Wikipedia: List of casinos in Maryland.
Baltimore CBS News: Booming Industry
FAQ
Yes, there are offshore online casino providers that accept many US Players. These providers, however, strictly regulate which US States are permitted to gamble and therefore acceptance is dependent on where you reside. Maryland players are accepted by the following online casino providers which GambleDex strongly recommends: Bovada, Slots.lv and Vegas Casino Online
The state laws in Maryland are relatively explicit in determining online gambling as illegal. This includes all forms of gambling: casino games, sports betting and poker.
To this day, there has been no precedence of any Player being prosecuted for online gambling. The risk is therefore extremely low.