Sweepstakes Casinos in Maryland (2026)

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Maryland?

Sweepstakes casinos are not banned by statute in Maryland, but the state’s gaming regulator treats them as illegal online gambling and has driven many brands out. No Maryland law names the dual-currency model. Under the Criminal Law Article, Title 12, betting, wagering or gambling and operating a gaming device without authorisation are misdemeanors, and the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) takes the view that a site offering casino-style games with a cash-redeemable currency is unlicensed gambling regardless of a free-entry route. Since January 2025 it has sent cease-and-desist letters to operators, including two rounds to VGW, the owner of Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots.

Two ban bills passed the House of Delegates in 2026 and a third passed the Senate in 2025, but none has completed the journey. The result is a patchy market: Stake.us, McLuck, Hello Millions, Mega Bonanza, Jackpota, Fortune Coins and High 5 Casino list Maryland as restricted or have left, while other brands still accept Marylanders. We are not lawyers. Check each site’s Maryland terms before you play.

Recent developments

• January 15, 2025: the MLGCA announces cease-and-desist letters to 11 operators it says offer illegal online casino gaming. Six sweepstakes brands acknowledge receipt: Golden Hearts Games, McLuck, Zula Casino, Rebet, Stake.us and Fortune Coins; five offshore sportsbooks do not respond.
• March 2025: Senate Bill 860, sponsored by Senator Paul Corderman, passes the Senate 47-0. It would make operating or promoting an online sweepstakes game a misdemeanor with fines of $10,000 to $100,000 and up to three years in prison, and would reach payment processors, geolocation providers and media affiliates. The House Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing on March 20 but never votes, and the bill dies when the session ends on April 7.
• March 2025: the MLGCA sends a cease-and-desist letter to VGW. High 5 Casino leaves the state around the same time.
• November 2025: a second letter goes to VGW, warning that non-compliance could jeopardise eligibility for future Maryland licences.
• January 2026: SB 112 and HB 295, titled Gaming - Prohibition on Interactive Games and Revenue From Illegal Markets, are filed at the request of the MLGCA.
• March 20, 2026: HB 295 passes the House 105-24.
• March 23, 2026: HB 1226, the Maryland Illegal Online Gambling Enforcement Act, which covers any online gambling not expressly authorised by law, also passes the House. SB 652, which would give the regulator explicit cease-and-desist powers, was heard in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on March 11.
• April 13, 2026: the session ends with all three bills stuck in Senate Budget and Taxation. Sponsors and the MLGCA have said they will return in 2027.

How Maryland law treats sweepstakes and gambling

• Criminal Law Article, Title 12: general prohibitions on betting, wagering and gaming devices, enforced as misdemeanors. The State Government Article gives the MLGCA authority over the Lottery, casinos, sports wagering and fantasy contests; nothing authorises online casino games.
• Promotional sweepstakes: Maryland permits genuine no-purchase-necessary promotions, which is the framework operators rely on. The MLGCA’s position is that the dual-currency casino model does not qualify.
• Players: enforcement is aimed at operators. No Maryland player has been charged for using a sweepstakes casino, and the failed bills would have penalised operators and facilitators only.
• Penalties proposed: the 2025 and 2026 bills carried fines of $10,000 to $100,000 and up to three years in prison; SB 652 proposed $50,000 for a first violation and $100,000 for each one after.

What Maryland players should check

• Age: Maryland sets 18 for the Lottery and 21 for casinos and sports betting. Most sweepstakes sites accept Maryland players at 18, but a number of brands set 21 for every state, so check the terms.
• Eligibility: operators have been changing their Maryland status quickly since the letters began. Confirm Maryland is on the eligible list before buying coins.
• Redemptions: if a brand announces a Maryland exit, note its redemption deadline; balances are usually forfeited after it.
• Geolocation and identity: expect location checks and KYC before a first redemption. Using a VPN to reach a site that has left Maryland breaches its terms.
• Taxes: prizes are taxable income in Maryland; keep records.

Other legal ways to play in Maryland

Maryland has six commercial casinos: MGM National Harbor, Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, Horseshoe Baltimore, Hollywood Casino Perryville, Ocean Downs and Rocky Gap. The Maryland Lottery dates from 1973. Retail sports betting opened in December 2021 and online sportsbooks launched on November 23, 2022. Online casino gaming is not legal: bills to put iGaming on the ballot failed in 2024, 2025 and again in 2026. Horse racing, including the Preakness Stakes, off-track betting, licensed fantasy contests and charitable gaming complete the picture.

Staying up to date

We follow MLGCA enforcement, the 2027 bills and every operator’s Maryland policy. This page and the casino list are updated as soon as anything changes; the review date in the header shows when we last checked.