Although Maryland is ranked just 42nd largest of all the 50 US states, it packs in quite a population of 5,928,814, listed as the 19th most populous. The tertiary service sector, particularly affective labor, is the state’s most significant economical resource, but the extensive shoreline and proximity to Washington D. C. draws a great deal of travelers to the area. To further bolster the tourism industry, Maryland chose to expand its gambling offerings to include regulated casino gambling on slots and, more recently, table games. The venture has been phenomenally successful, but the legalization of online poker has yet to come to fruition.

Sweepstakes Legal Online Poker - Play Poker Free No Matter Which State You’re In As said before, Global Poker, a sweepstakes legal online poker site, can be accessed in all US states except for the state of Washington. This legal online poker platform was launched in 2106, and since then, many players use its services. The virtual currency. The Maryland online gambling laws are non existant and the other ones do not mention online poker in any way, just like other USA online poker laws. Whilst the playing of online poker isn’t considered to be illegal the wagering or betting (gambling in general) is considered a misdemeanor in Maryland.

There were innumerable online poker players in the Old Line State pre-Black Friday, most of which would like to know just where the local government stands on the issue of internet gaming. The fact that it has not been regulated doesn’t necessarily make it illegal. The laws of many states leave online poker in a grey area. We will examine the gambling legislation of Maryland to determine what legal category internet poker falls into.

Land-based Gambling in Maryland

Maryland wasn’t always so agreeable to the idea of land-based casino gambling. In the first half of the 20th century, Southern Maryland was known as Little Nevada for its abundance of slots facilities, but fearing corruption, the state outlawed casinos in 1968. Maryland legalized charitable casino slots in the 1970’s and established a state-run lottery, bringing in millions for state-funded programs, but by the 1990’s, charitable slots were again prohibited due to corruption.

The subject didn’t resurface until 2008 when voters approved the return of slot machines at five locations. The first, Hollywood Casino Perryville, opened its doors on September 17, 2010. Four years later, table games, including poker, were sanctioned, along with a new casino establishment in Prince George County, scheduled to open as MGM National Harbor sometime in 2016.

Maryland is also home to four horse racing tracks including Pimlico Race Course, established in 1870 and home of the Triple Crown event, Preakness Stakes.

At this time there are no online poker sites located in Maryland. As more states pass legislation regulating online poker Maryland will most likely open an online poker room themselves. Check back shortly for a listing of legal online poker sites located in Maryland. In the meantime play online poker at any of the below recommended poker sites. Are Online Casinos or Online Poker Sites Legal in Maryland? Maryland law does not specifically address online gambling or online poker sites, but numerous prosecutions of online gambling operators stemming from the state make it clear that Maryland believes their anti-gambling laws apply equally to online gambling. Maryland doesn’t have language specific to online poker. But I’m pretty sure the statute above covers it, making it illegal. Another hint is how few poker sites, casinos and sportsbooks accept Maryland customers. There are only a few, and for good reason – Maryland has shown they’re not afraid to go after sites or site owners.

Deciphering the Laws of Maryland as they relate to Online Poker

Maryland is obviously open to the idea of generating tax dollars from regulated gambling activities. Since online poker isn’t expressly authorized, we’ve scoured the gambling laws of the Old Line State to find context that could be related to real money internet poker. The following excerpts are taken from Title 12 of the Criminal Law section of Maryland’s Statutes and Codes, with brief meanings provided for each.

SectionTextMeaning (in re online poker)
§ gcr-12-101 Definitionsd. 1. “Gaming device” means:
i. a gaming table, except a billiard table, at which a game of chance is played for money or any other thing or consideration of value; or
ii. a game or device at which money or any other thing or consideration of value is bet, wagered, or gambled.		There is no differentiation between a game of chance or skill by Maryland law, therefore a gaming device would include a poker table. Because no clarification is specified for mechanical or electronic devices, it could possibly include an online poker table as well.
§ gcr-12-102a. A person may not:
1. bet, wager, or gamble;c. 1. The provisions of this subsection apply only in Baltimore City.
2. A person who violates this section may be charged by a citation.		Betting, wagering or gambling of any kind is strictly prohibited in Baltimore City, MD. A citation means the culprit will have to pay an unspecified fine or appear in court, similar to the penalty for a traffic violation.
§ gcr-12-1071. The prohibition in subsection (b) of this section applies notwithstanding a license or permit granted through or by a county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of this State.2. This section does not apply to:
i. pari-mutuel betting conducted under the Maryland Horse Racing Act;
ii. bingo, carnivals, raffles, bazaars, or similar games of entertainment; or
iii. …slot machines, that are authorized in the State…		This section does not apply to licensed operators who conduct authorized gambling activities.
b. A person may not conduct or operate with pari-mutuel betting, or with any similar form of betting, wagering, or gambling:
1. …jai alai…
2. any other game, contest, or event.		Criminalized gambling is extremely ambiguous in this section, and therefore seems to apply to any form of gambling that is not authorized. However, the term ‘conduct or operate’ alludes to the person running the game, not the players.

Is Online Poker Illegal in Maryland?

Not exactly. Online poker seems to fall into a grey area of the law in Maryland (except for residents of Baltimore City). Although it is not a regulated form of gambling, the penalties appear to fall on the operators, not the players.

In Baltimore City, however, the laws state that any type of gambling is illegal, and therefore an online poker player may be subject to a citation.

Is Maryland working to Legalize Online Poker?

Maybe. The topic of regulated online gambling in Maryland was introduced by House Speaker Michael E. Busch in 2012 in a memo regarding an upcoming hearing on gambling expansion, but was dropped from the discussion before it ever began. Instead, the state chose to authorize table games, bringing land-based poker to the Old Line State.

Nearby competition has already pushed Maryland into expanding its casino industry over the last few years, and the presence of internet gambling in Delaware and New Jersey could be a catalyst for online poker development in the foreseeable future. Lawmakers have stated that they wish to keep the focus on the development Maryland’s nascent casino industry for the time being, but that could change if iGaming opportunities in nearby jurisdictions begin to detract from the state’s land-based gambling industry.

Online Poker Players from Maryland

The evidence that online poker isn’t illegal in Maryland is further supported by the fact that many online poker players from the state don’t bother to mask their identity. The most prominent online poker pro proudly residing in Maryland is James “mx4ever” Sloat, who racked up over $625k on PokerStars and $260k on Full Tilt before Black Friday. He now plays primarily on the Winning Poker Network as “MBRMACR”. Other successful online poker players from Maryland include Josh “TKO121” Mischel of Baltimore and Brian “Poker366” Hollywood of Pasadena.

Land-Based Card Rooms in Maryland

There are currently 5 land-based casinos in Maryland, all licensed and regulated by the state’s Lottery and Gaming Control Commission. A sixth licensed destination, MGM National Harbor, is under construction in Prince George County, slated to cut the ribbons in 2016. Four of the state’s casinos offer poker rooms, with the largest being the 25-table WSOP-branded poker room at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, and the doubly massive 52-table, two-story poker room at Maryland Live! Casino.

Casino at Ocean Downs
Location: Berlin, MD
Poker Room: No

Hollywood Casino Perryville
Location: Port Deposit, MD
Poker Room: Yes

Horseshoe Casino Baltimore
Location: Baltimore, MD
Poker Room: Yes

Maryland Live! Casino
Location: Hanover, MD
Poker Room: Yes

Rocky Gap Casino Resort
Location: Cumberland, MD
Poker Room: Yes

Posted in Uncategorized Tagged with: laws, Maryland, online poker

Poker has been very popular in Maryland for a long time.In fact, some of the most recognizable names in the poker industry are fromMaryland, including Phil Galfond and Greg Merson. The industry itself has seenits ups and downs, but that doesn’t stop the game from continuing to grow inone form or another.

This page is all about poker in Maryland – the legalstatus, where to find games, and how to improve your own skill levels.

Online Poker in Maryland

Online poker has had a rich history in Maryland eversince the early 2000s. Once Chris Moneymaker made his way from an onlinesatellite in Missouri to winning the 2003 World Series of Poker, a whole newbreed of poker player emerged – one that started their careers online. This iswhere the likes of Galfond and Merson cut their teeth, with Merson making hismark equalling that of Moneymaker by winning the Main Event of the WSOPhimself.

Online poker legal in ny

With online poker sites booming, Maryland residentsdidn’t even have to travel anymore to play in huge events. However, all of thatcame crashing down in 2011 when there was a widespread crackdown on the onlinepoker sites that had been accepting players from the U.S. illegally. Today,while some poker pros from Maryland have moved outside the country to continueplaying online, most casual Maryland poker players have gone back to theirregular lives, hopeful that one day the game will be regulated in their homestate.

Land Based Poker in Maryland

Thankfully for those poker players that learned to playonline only to have that option ripped away from them, the live poker scene inMaryland is also robust. What the state lacks in numbers of locations in morethan covered by the sheer number of tables at each of the facilities open toresidents and visitors to the state. Live poker in Maryland has always beenhighlighted by some major tournament festivals that have happened at MarylandLive over the years, producing some of the highest quality games seen in thestate.

Here are the places that you can play cash games and tournaments live in Maryland:

Maryland Live!
MGM National Harbour
Hollywood Casino Perryville
Horseshoe Baltimore

Social Poker in Maryland

Much of the play that occurred at online poker sites inthe 2000s when the game was at its peak in the U.S. was taking place at theplay money tables. AS it turns out, thousands of people like to play poker as ahobby, without gambling any money at all. Unfortunately, when the large realmoney sites left the U.S., the play money tables left with them.

Enter the social poker sites to the rescue! Piggybackingoff the popularity of the game and the emergence of social networks likeFacebook, a new hybrid of the game was born. Social poker is poker playedprimarily for recognition rather than for real money – something the onlinepoker industry struggled with for many years. Rather than charging people forentry fees, players could simply earn enough chips by playing and invitingtheir friends that they could qualify for larger buy-in events. However, therewas a way to bypass the effort and simply start at the more exclusive tables –buying chip packages. These chip stacks cost real money, but if you won atournament with them, you weren’t able to cash them back in for money.

It turns out this option was just what the public wanted.Before long, sites were earning billions of dollars from players buying theseplay money chips just for the exclusivity of the games they could enter. Thequality of the play at the exclusive tables was much higher, so if you arethinking of playing at a social poker site, you should consider buying chipsyourself. You can consider it an investment in your playing career.

Subscription Poker in Maryland

When real money online poker options appeared to belimited, players were scrambling for places to play, and operators were lookingfor different ways to monetize players. One solution that emerged from thisnecessity was the subscription-based model. Subscription sites like Club WPTare just that – a club with a membership fee due monthly or annually. As one ofthe perks for paying the fee, players were given access to multiple tournamentsat no further cost that gave them a chance to play for great prizes…but nocash.

Unfortunately for those of you sitting in Iowa readingthis, the Iowa government’s stance on online gambling has forced thesubscription sites to block play from the state. That isn’t to say that youcouldn’t try these sites out when you are traveling, but if you are sittingwithin the state borders, then you will not currently be able to play gameslike those found on Club WPT.

Mobile Poker in Maryland

Given how much we already do on our phones and tablets these days, the majority of us don’t even sit down to a computer anymore. When it comes to playing poker, the mobile channel has made the game even more accessible to people around the world. In places where you can play online poker legally, some mobile sites and apps allow you to sit at a table anywhere you can get a connection to the Internet.

In Maryland, with no legal online poker apps, you mightthink there is no way to play poker from your mobile device. However, thatwould be false – there are loads ofpoker apps in the app stores of iOS and Android devices. Even though you can’tplay any real money games on them, mobile poker apps allow you to practice thegames at any time without having to risk real money. This is a great way to trya game you have never played before or to brush up on the skills you currentlyhave at your disposal.

Online Poker in Maryland FAQ

Are there ways I can learn more about different pokergames?

Maryland’s land-based poker rooms are large enough to beable to spread not only Hold’em but games like Omaha, Razz and Chinese Poker insome cases. If you aren’t sure how to play these games, we suggest you startwith our Poker Game Guides, which outline all the basics of each game. Takingthe layer of complexity out of the game will give you the confidence to sitdown at any table and start playing.

Offshore sites claim to have great offers for me inadvertisements, but I thought the industry had been shut down? Is this a scam?

Well, that depends on how you look at it. There areindeed poker sites that are offering games to U.S. players even in states likeIowa. These sites are primarily hosted out of countries in Latin America, whereit is a very different process to get a license to operate. While the offersyou are seeing are not scams by definition, there is inherent risk in sendingmoney to a foreign country where there is no guarantee of receiving your moneyback if you are a winner. The horror stories online alone about theseoperations should be enough to have you stay far away from them.