Maryland Sports Betting Guide
Maryland sports betting has been live since 2021, and bettors can find both online and retail options to satisfy their wagers.
Between national sportsbooks and local ones, there's something for everyone in the Old Line State.
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+2 - Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
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- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
- Maryland Sports Betting Overview
- Best Online Sportsbooks in Maryland
- List of Online & Retail Betting Sites in Maryland
- Online Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- Retail Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- What You Can Legally Wager On in The Free State
- Official Sports Teams
- Betting on Sports in Maryland vs Neighboring States
- Timeline of Legalization of Sports Betting in Maryland
- Maryland Sports Betting Handle & Revenue
- Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
- Licensing & Oversight
- Responsible Gaming in MD
- Summing Up Sports Betting in Maryland
- Top Reasons Not to Bet in Maryland
- Final Thoughts on Sports Betting in Maryland
Maryland Sports Betting Overview
Regulators in many states have sought to have their own unique angle on sports betting legalization, and Maryland was no different in that respect. Here, the goal was to encourage small business and women- and minority-owned businesses to be able to have a seat at the sports wagering table alongside the massive international sportsbook operators.
Minority-owned Crab Sports became the state's latest mobile sportsbook in 2023, and another small business - Veterans Services Corp. - opened its LetsBetMD sportsbook in 2024.
| Live Since: | Dec. 9, 2021 (for retail) and Nov. 23, 2022 (for mobile) |
| Total Online Books: | 12 |
| Total Retail Books: | 13 |
| Handle & Revenue: | $15.5 billion through Aug. 2025, with $1.8 billion in sportsbook revenue |
| Sports Betting Tax Rate: | 15% on retail wager revenue and 20% on mobile wager revenue |
| Legal Betting Age: | 21+ |
Best Online Sportsbooks in Maryland
As is typical across the U.S., two archrivals combine for the lion's share of the mobile sports betting revenue, with a spirited battle for a distant third place. In September 2025, for instance, FanDuel claimed 39.1% of the betting handle in September 2025.
Second place earned 29.1% of the state's handle and third place 7.2%,. Other operators scored like BetMGM (6.8%), Fanatics (6.4%), and ESPN Bet (2.1%) all settled for single-digit scores.
List of Online & Retail Betting Sites in Maryland
There are currently 12 online sportsbooks and 13 retail sportsbooks in Maryland.
Online Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- FanDuel - Nov. 23, 2022
- DraftKings - Nov. 23, 2022
- BetMGM - Nov. 23, 2022
- BetRivers - Nov. 23, 2022
- Caesars - Nov. 23, 2022
- Fanatics - June 1, 2023
- Crab Sports - July 14, 2023
- BetParx - Sept. 18, 2023
- ESPN Bet - Nov. 14, 2023
- LetsBetMD - July 1, 2024
- Bally Bet - July 29, 2024
- Bet365 - Aug. 28, 2025
Retail Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- MGM National Harbor (Oxon Hill) - Dec. 9, 2021
- Horseshoe Casino (Baltimore) - Dec. 10, 2021
- Live! Casino (Hanover) - Dec. 10, 2021
- Ocean Downs Casino (Berlin) - Dec. 17, 2021
- Hollywood Casino (Perryville) - Dec. 23, 2021
- Bingo World (Brooklyn Park) - Aug. 1, 2022
- Riverboat on the Potomac - Sept. 8, 2022
- Greenmount Station OTB (Hampstead) - Oct. 28, 2022
- Long Shot’s (Frederick) - Nov. 18, 2022
- Maryland Stadium Sub at FedEx Field (Landover) - Jan. 20, 2023
- The Greene Turtle (Canton) - Sept. 1, 2023
- Whitman Gaming-Sports & Social (North Bethesda) - Sept. 2, 2023
- Canton Gaming (Pikesville) - Oct. 24, 2025
What You Can Legally Wager On in The Free State
The list of dozens of professional and amateur sports played worldwide that are allowed in Maryland are typical of the industry, and the state's allowance of wagering on college sporting events while banning prop bets on individual college athletes is almost becoming the standard policy in the U.S. at this point.
Many states either allow wagering on The Academy Awards and similar shows as well as betting on the NFL draft, or they don't authorize non-athletic contest wagers. Maryland splits the difference, allowing NFL and NBA draft betting but not wagers on awards shows - nor on the annual July 4, 2025 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating contest.
+2 +2 - Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
+2 +2 - Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
Official Sports Teams
Maryland is home to three major professional sports teams - and two of them are the NFL's Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders. MLB has the other team - the Baltimore Orioles.
Just over the Maryland border, the Washington Wizards of the NBA, MLB's Washington Nationals, and the NHL's Washington Capitals all play in Washington, D.C. and have fan backing in The Free State.
The University of Maryland and the U.S. Naval Academy are Maryland's two NCAA Division I college football programs. They are joined in D-1 basketball by Coppin State, Loyola of Maryland, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Mount St. Mary's, Towson State, and Maryland-Baltimore County.
Betting on Sports in Maryland vs Neighboring States
Larger states Pennsylvania and Virginia outpace Maryland in all-time sports betting handle entering the fall 2025 football season by a margin of $40.2 billion to $24.7 billion to $15.5 billion. West Virginia ($3.1 billion) and Delaware ($964 million) trail Maryland, however.
Timeline of Legalization of Sports Betting in Maryland
State lawmakers were eager enough to embrace sports betting to try to legalize the wagering a month before the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling in mid-2018. Several other states in the overall region already had succeeded in that tactic. The Maryland Constitution's requirements delayed the first bet until late 2021 - but it wasn't for lack of trying.
- April 10, 2018 - A push to legalize sports betting fails to gain agreement among lawmakers on a bill to send to the Governor's desk.
- March 12, 2019 - State Attorney General Brian Frosh declared that sports betting legalization could only happen if approved by residents in a statewide referendum. There had been an effort to bypass that requirement by having state lottery regulators oversee the wagering.
- Nov. 3, 2020 - Maryland voters across the state voted to add sports betting to the state's legal gambling offerings.
- April 12, 2021 - The state Assembly approved parameters for wagering in the state.
- May 18, 2021 - Gov. Larry Hogan signed into law sports betting legalization.
- Dec. 9, 2021 - MGM National Harbor Casino accepted the first legal wager - by Hogan, who in classic politician behavior bet on Washington and Baltimore, the state's two NFL teams, to meet up in the Super Bowl (they did not).
- Aug. 1, 2022 - Bingo World in Brooklyn Park became the first non-casino sportsbook in Maryland.
- Nov. 23, 2022 - Seven mobile sportsbooks launched operations as the online wagering era in the state began.
- Jan. 20, 2023 - FedEx Field, home of the Washington Commanders, became the first NFL stadium with its own sportsbook.
- July 1, 2025 – The tax on mobile sportbooks in the state was raised from 15% to 20%.
Maryland Sports Betting Handle & Revenue
Maryland is 14th among U.S. states in all-time betting handle through the end of summer 2025, and is the 18th-most populated state. Only Louisiana, Delaware, and Montana have a state sportsbook collective "hold rate" higher than the 11.5% figure enjoyed by Maryland's operators.
| Total Handle to Date: | Maryland has taken in $15.5 billion in betting handle through August 2025. |
| Tax Revenue to Date: | Also through Aug. 2025, Maryland has collected $193.7 million in sports betting taxes. |
| Breakdown of Online vs. Retail Share: | Mobile sportsbooks accounted for 98.3% of all betting handle in Maryland in August 2025 to just 1.7% for retail books, a typical result in the state - but a bit below the national average for retail. |
| YoY Growth Rates: | November 2024 produced the state's then-monthly handle record of $639.9 million, and that figure was up more than 16% from the November 2023 figure. But September 2025 was even more active, with $651 million in bets placed. |
| Handle Milestones: | Maryland reached the $100 million mark in taxes collected as of August 2024, and climbed past the $200 million mark after the September 2025 figures were announced. |
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Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
Here are some of the official sportsbook partnerships in place in Maryland:
- Washington Commanders x Fanatics
- Washington Wizards x ESPN Bet
- Washington Capitals x ESPN Bet
- Maryland Live! Casino and Sports & Social North Bethesda x FanDuel
- Horseshoe Casino Baltimore x Caesars
- FedEx Field and Riverboat on the Potomac x Fanatics
- Hollywood Casino Perryville x ESPN Bet
- Bingo World x BetRivers
- Greenmount OTB x BetParx
- Longshots OTB x Caesars
- Veterans Services Corporation x Bee-Fee
- Greene Turtle Canton x BetParx
Licensing & Oversight
The Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Agency has overseen state casino operators since 2010 and sportsbooks since 2022.
The agency also is the regulator for electronic instant bingo machines, instant ticket lottery machines run by veteran’s organizations, skill-based amusement devices, and daily fantasy sports.
The licensing fee for new sportsbook operators in the state is $500,000.
Responsible Gaming in MD
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Responsible Gambling Plan's focus is being "committed to encouraging responsible, healthy play as it operates the Maryland Lottery and regulates casinos, sports wagering and a variety of other gaming programs."
The plan is designed to ensure that the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline number appears on tickets, websites, social media platforms, and all Lottery, casino and sports wagering advertising. It also places referral information, Voluntary Exclusion Program information, and other responsible gambling information on mdlottery.com, mdgaming.com, and mdgamblinghelp.org.
An interesting and helpful wrinkle is that mdgaming.com maintains a "Legal vs. Illegal Online Gaming page" on the website.
Summing Up Sports Betting in Maryland
Top Reasons to Bet in Maryland
- Alex Ovechkin, the most prolific goal scorer in NHL history with more than 900 goals, has hinted that 2025-26 might be his final season with the Washington Capitals. The franchise won the Stanley Cup in the 2017-18 season and have missed the playoffs only once since then.
- The Maryland women's basketball team has reached the "March Madness" Sweet 16 four times in the last five seasons, and an impressive 12 times in this century. The squad ranked 10th in The Associated Press preseason top 25, and seems in good position to win yet another Big Ten title.
- The University of Virginia football team got off to a 8-1 start, and by early November were placed 14th in the NCAA college football rankings. Cavaliers fans in Maryland - many of them Virginia alumni, and many of them program fans in Virginia who can't legally bet on the team in that state - who had been legally betting the money line on their team in Maryland were treated to one nail-biting win after another. Alas, a brutally close loss to rival Wake Forest on Nov. 8 significantly dimmed the school's playoff hopes. But unlike some of the iconic football powers, the Virginia school's fans by no means have a "national title" or bust mentality. Even a slippage in the rankings down the stretch still would leave the Cavaliers in a high-profile postseason bowl game.
Top Reasons Not to Bet in Maryland
- The state's Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens each cruised into the 2024 NFL playoffs with identical 12-5 records, but the first half of the 2025 season was another match, in a worse way - injuries to each team's star quarterback leading to dismal starts for each.
- The Maryland and Navy football programs rarely attract national attention, as Maryland is in over its head in the powerful Big Ten, and Navy plays in the low-profile American Conference.
- The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team was a powerhouse in the early 21st century, reaching the Final 4 in 2001 and winning the NCAA national title in 2002. But the school has reached the Sweet 16 only twice in the last two decades - and while one of those was in 2025, the AP preseason poll for the 2025-2026 season did not feature a single vote for the Terrapins.
+2 +2 - Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
+2 +2 - Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
Final Thoughts on Sports Betting in Maryland
The effort to bring local small businesses aboard the sports betting industry in the state no doubt was well-supported on many fronts. But to take June 2025 as an example - the final month of the state's official fiscal year - FanDuel led the way with $163 million in online wagers, followed by the next big competitor at $131.8 million.
The two local businesses claimed the bottom two spots - Veterans Services at $581,293 and Crab Sports at $485,187. It seems like a stretch to believe that this was what the Maryland lawmakers had in mind in 2020-2022 discussions.
There was serious discussion in early 2025 about raising the state's mobile sports betting tax rate from 15% to 32%. The eventual 20% compromise rate is right around the national median rate, and mid-sized states that raise it much higher than that risk losing more sportsbooks than Maryland already has over the past few years. That likely would lead to less competition, less promotional offers, and an overall less appealing sportsbook landscape for Maryland bettors.
