Senate Ron Watson has pre-filed House Bill 17 in Maryland, which would legalize online gambling. This would include both poker and casino games.
News of the potential development will excite poker fans in the US, who just weeks ago found out that Pennsylvania is joining the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) in a move which will surely benefit online poker sites in Pennsylvania.
But the seasoned poker heads in Maryland will temper their expectations. Some of you may remember similar noises coming out of the Old Line State last year, when Watson tried to push through House Bill 1319. If successful, it would’ve legalized online gaming – with page 14 specifically mentioning poker tournaments.
It came close. HB1319 cleared the first few hurdles and was approved by Maryland’s House of Delegates with a victory of 92-43, but was then blocked by the state’s Senate.
Watson had already tried to launch two similar bills, but remains undeterred. His latest attempt, HB17, was pre-filed for 2025 and sent to the Maryland House of Delegates’ Ways and Means Committee. He’s already enjoyed success there in the past, and will be confident again as Vanessa Atterbeary, the bill’s sponsor, is chairing the committee.
Referendum on the Cards?
The best route to victory may be a referendum. Watson originally floated the idea of a referendum in 2024, but was unable to beat the deadline and get it done.
Opening the doors to a public vote can help dissuade any pushback. If the people of the state themselves have no issue with it, why should online gambling not be allowed, just as it is (in some form) in eight other US states?
It would undoubtedly bring a fresh cash boost for the government, too.
“We’ve seen other states significantly boost their economies with online gaming,” said State Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary. “This legislation will bring Maryland into the future while providing critical funding for education and other essential services.”
But not everyone is happy about the idea of games going digital.
Maryland is home to several physical casinos. That includes Live! Casino & Hotel, a resort located in Hanover. They’ve already expressed concerns that the legalization of online gambling could reduce foot traffic in the casino.
Joint Player Pool
Should online poker be legalized in Maryland, a population of more than 6.1 million people will be added to the states which are already part of the MSIGA.
Rather than being ringfenced to one state, players in MSIGA states can play in the same cash games and tournaments as each other. That means Maryland poker players would be able to join players from Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey and West Virginia – as well as Pennsylvania, once they make it official.