Maryland Warns Sports Bettors Ahead of Football Season: What Is and Isn’t Legal
The NFL will soon join the college football season, which has already begun. Maryland's casino officials are warning the public to only interact with legitimate, regulated businesses as the country's most popular sport resumes.
The majority of gaming activities in the Old Line State are governed by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA). On November 23, 2022, MLGCA-regulated online sportsbooks were permitted to start accepting wagers in advance of the NFL's customary Thanksgiving feast.
According to the American Gaming Association, legal wagers on NFL games will total $30 billion this year alone. The college football field will receive billions more.
Consumer protections, such as assurances that winning bets will be paid and account withdrawals will be carried out, are provided by Maryland's regulated sportsbooks and fantasy sports platforms, according to the state's gaming authorities. Illegal operators do not offer these guarantees.
"This is a fun time of year for sports fans. Football season is something everybody looks forward and it’s also typically the busiest time of the year for sports wagering,” said Seth Elkin, a spokesperson for the MLGCA.
“We want to remind everyone of the legal options for sports wagering in Maryland, and how to tell the difference between the legal and illegal options,” Elkin explained.
Legal versus Illegal
A new section titled "Legal vs. Illegal" was added to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming website. The tab lists the websites that are licensed and subject to state regulation for online sports betting and fantasy sports.
Bally Bet, BetMGM, betPARX, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, Crab Sports, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook, FanDuel, and LetsBetMD are the eleven authorized online sportsbooks in the state that are directly linked from the website.
DataForce, DraftKings, FanDuel, Fantasy Football Player's Championship, FullTime Fantasy, GullyCricket, OwnersBox, RealTime, Splash Sports, SportsHub, Underdog Sports, and Yahoo Fantasy Sports are among the 13 fantasy sports platforms in Maryland that are linked.
The state gaming office claims that any unnamed online sports betting and/or fantasy sports platform is "operating illegally in Maryland."
Additionally, the state gaming commission claims that social casinos that pose as sweepstakes platforms are unlawful and criminal gambling. Chumba, Stake, and High 5 Casino are just a few of the illegal gaming websites listed by the MLGCA that have received cease and desist orders.
Additionally, Maryland has taken action against prediction markets, which are governed by the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission rather than state gaming regulators like the MLGCA since they purport to be offering derivative goods.
Kalshi, which is now running contracts on whether Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Felss Masino would leave before the end of the year and if Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will get married this year, is one such operator that was told to leave the state.
Conscientious Gambling
According to Elkin, the player is mostly in charge of controlling their wagering, even if customers are protected on the listed legal websites and each one has state-mandated responsible gaming regulations.
Elkin remarked, "Please play responsibly within your [financial] means." It's not a means of making money. Have fun with it. Continue to be sociable.
