Maryland lawmakers are renewing previous efforts to broaden the state’s gambling market to include online gaming by introducing two new proposals. The bills would legalize online casino-style games and internet bingo, but the ultimate decision will be left to voters.
Key Takeaways
- Maryland SB 761 and SB 885 pair a 2026 referendum with an internet gaming regulatory framework.
- The Maryland framework centers licensing on existing casinos and approved partners, not broad new entrants.
- A poll from October 2025 finds that 71% of Maryland voters oppose the legalization of iGaming.
The plan combines a constitutional referendum with a separate bill outlining how such activity would be licensed, supervised, and regulated, while also establishing consumer protection rules. Lawmakers backing the proposal have highlighted public education funding as a primary destination for the state's share of online gaming revenue.
The framework relies on two Senate measures that are intended to work together. Senate Bill 761 represents the constitutional component that would place a referendum before voters during the November 2026 general election.
The ballot question would ask whether Maryland should permit internet gaming for specific purposes, including support for education funding.
Should voters reject the proposal, the expansion of online gambling would not proceed, and neither measure would take effect.
The companion legislation, Senate Bill 885, describes the regulatory and operational system that would apply if the referendum succeeds. It outlines licensing procedures and oversight responsibilities for online casino gaming and online bingo under the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission.
The bill also outlines eligibility standards, compliance requirements, and protections to safeguard consumers participating in the market.
The structure largely reflects Maryland's existing casino framework. Participation would typically be limited to operators that already run casinos in the state, along with approved partners working with those license holders.
However, the bills’ futures remain uncertain. A poll by Lake Research Partners for the National Association Against iGaming, conducted in October 2025, found that 71% of Maryland voters would oppose the legalization of online casinos.
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Virginia advances iGaming bill with revised language
While Maryland lawmakers evaluate whether to place iGaming before voters, across the border, Virginia legislators continue to advance their own proposal. The Virginia House General Laws Committee voted 15-4 to advance Senate Bill 118 after adopting substitute language and sending the measure to the Appropriations Committee.
The revised version eliminated the bill's earlier implementation date of July 1, 2027, and introduced a requirement that the legislation must be reenacted during the 2027 General Assembly session before it can take effect.
If the bill receives that second approval, the Virginia Lottery Board would begin accepting notices of intent from operators starting July 1, 2027. The board would also be required to complete regulatory rulemaking by Jan. 1, 2028, creating a timeline that could allow online casino operations to launch in 2028.
The updated bill also requires operators to submit a separate notice of intent for each internet gaming platform and makes labor peace agreements a condition for licensing approval. The substitute also revised the distribution of tax revenue by directing 5% to the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund and allocating 6% to a newly created Internet Lottery Hold Harmless Fund through Jan. 1, 2037.
