In Maryland and Virginia, new bills have been set forth to the state governments introducing online casino operations within their respective jurisdictions. Should these new bills pass, these states would join other states such as Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, in having online casino licensing and their operations enshrined within the law.
Lawmakers are actively discussing legislation to establish a regulated framework, aiming to balance consumer protections with the economic benefits of a growing online gaming market. This move aligns with trends in neighbouring states, where regulated iGaming has proven successful in generating tax revenue and providing safe gaming environments.
As the market develops, residents in Maryland and Virginia will likely gain access to a wide array of online casino providers. For those eagerly waiting to explore such options, NoDepositRewards has a great choice of licensed and reputable operators offering real money no deposit bonus codes that are worth considering.
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What’s Happening in Maryland?
In Maryland, Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary introduced House Bill 17 on January 8, 2025, a bill surrounding Internet Gaming. The bill itself sets out the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission as the authorizing part in giving licenses to online casino operators and other online gaming operators.
Within the proposed bill there are plenty of clauses outlined, such as for problem gambling awareness, how the revenues from taxes should be spent, the ban on credit card gambling, and voluntary exclusion lists. For operators, the cost to license within the state would be $1M up front, with 5-year extensions to the license valued at 1% of average annual revenues.
A similar bill was proposed by the same delegate in 2024, however, the bill failed to pass a Senate Committee after clearing the House. This new bill seeks to ally some of the fears over the legislation that led to its stalling last year, most pointedly in problem gambling and addiction.
What’s The Situation in Virginia?
Over in Virginia, Senate Bill No 827 on Internet Gaming is currently postponed, after the bill’s sponsor, Senator Mamie Locke, has decided that additional studies need to be performed before the bill is considered for law.
The bill itself is very similar in clauses and outlined terms to the bill outlined in Maryland, even down to the $1M license fee for operators. Some of the concerns that have seen the bill locked up include theories that online gaming might take away from the revenues currently delivered from the Virginia Lottery. As the lottery proceeds fund school construction, there must be adequate protections to ensure this fund doesn’t dwindle.
The bill has been delayed until around 2026, leaving punters in the state in a bit of a lurch. While in-person gaming is available in places, sports betting online has been legal since 2021, and there are dark online casinos that people visit, it was expected that this new legislature would come into play this year. Pushing out the timelines has frustrated some, but Mamie believes it is important to ensure the proposed legislation is air-tight first.
Online Casinos Slowly Creep Across The US
Since sports betting was legalized federally in the US back in 2018, and online sports betting started becoming legal across the states that legislated for it, there has been a slow and subtle move towards other forms of legalized online gambling in the US.
Typically, the states are more cautious in their approach to legalizing online casinos than they have been for sports betting. There are more kinks to work out in the processes, whereas, for many, sports betting was quite simple.
For the states that have legalized Internet Gaming, or online casino-based gambling, there has been a tendency toward accepting casinos with an established presence in the market. For instance, well-known operators from the UK have joined forces with land-based casinos and entitled native landowners to deliver new online gambling services to these states.
While the cost to establish an online casino in any state in the US is high, and there are plenty of hoops to jump through regarding advertising rules, taxes, etc., the market has proved lucrative for some.
A Worldwide Phenomenon
It’s not just the US that has experienced growth in online casinos. Thanks to advances in technology, highly localized play and experiences, and newly available markets, online casino play has become a huge business around the world. From Africa to the US, Europe to South America, there are new and exciting companies and spin-offs being launched as we speak.
While the systems of government often work slowly when it comes to passing legislature in the US, we do expect Maryland and Virginia to soon come on board to the world of Internet Gaming. There is no doubt that other states will continue to follow suit – albeit slowly but surely.
