Maryland Online Casino Effort Hits A Wall

Maryland online casino legalization has lost momentum in the 2026 session. A referendum bill from Senator Ron Watson was withdrawn, and the companion bill that laid out rules for Maryland online casinos did not get out of committee before Crossover Day. That leaves the effort of Maryland to legalize online casino gaming in a weak spot heading into the late stage of the session.

Good to Know

• SB 761 was the referendum bill tied to Maryland online casino legalization, and it was withdrawn by Senator Watson.
• SB 885 set out the framework for internet gaming and online bingo, but it stayed in committee.
• Without voter approval through a referendum, the broader Maryland iGaming plan cannot go ahead in its current form.

The two-bill push was designed to work together, but that structure now looks like the main reason the effort is stalled. SB 761 would have put a Maryland online casino referendum on the ballot, while SB 885 spelled out how internet gaming and online bingo would be licensed and regulated. Once SB 761 was pulled, the path for SB 885 became far narrower because the regulatory bill was contingent on referendum approval.

Timing also worked against the proposal. Maryland General Assembly records show both Senate bills were introduced in early February and heard on March 11. Yet SB 885 did not advance from committee before the March 23 Crossover Day deadline, a point in the session when bills that have not crossed chambers rarely recover. The Maryland General Assembly home page on March 24 also showed the legislature nearing sine die, leaving little room for a late rescue.

Opposition came from more than one direction. Delegate Wayne Hartman, who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, made clear that support inside Annapolis looked thin. He said: “I feel pretty confident there’s not an appetite for it this year.”

He also raised a longer-term concern tied to state finances. He said: “My concern is, really, next year, after the election, when our deficit continues to grow, what are we going to see to quench the thirst of the majority party here to spend money?”

Casino interests also pushed back. Representatives from Ocean Downs casino warned lawmakers that Maryland online gambling could hurt tourism and put local jobs at risk. Worcester County Commissioners raised similar concerns, arguing that internet casino play could pull spending away from in-person venues in the region. That argument has come up in other states too, where online casino bills often run into resistance from retail casino operators worried about cannibalization, even when supporters argue digital gaming can add tax revenue and keep play inside a regulated market.

For now, legal online casino gaming in Maryland remains out of reach. The state still has six commercial casinos, and the Watson proposal would have allowed those operators to take part in a regulated online casino market. But with the referendum piece gone and the implementation bill left behind in committee, Maryland online casinos look unlikely in 2026 unless lawmakers bring back the idea in a new form later on.

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