Legal Online Sports Betting in Maryland: Best Maryland Sportsbooks

Maryland is hoping to legalize online sports betting as soon as possible. Some predict it will be with us by Superbowl season, with that day fast approaching allow us at HowToBet to give you guys some guidance on Maryland sports betting. Particularly, where to bet in Maryland. Maryland could become another state that holds legal online gambling in the US.

Most Recent Updates on Sports Betting in Maryland

• August 10th, 2022- Maryland Lottery & Gaming Control Commission deemed the Washington Commanders suitable for a sports betting facility license. Chesapeake Gaming was deemed suitable for a facility license and British sportsbook Betfred was granted an operator license.
• August 1st, 2022- Rush Street Interactive opened a BetRivers retail sportsbook at Bingo World in Maryland.
• July 13th, 2022- The SWARC approved applications during the July meeting. It was also confirmed that we are still a way away from mobile sports betting launching in Maryland.
• June 29th, 2022- Fanatics partners with the Washington Commanders for online sports betting in Maryland.
• June 20th, 2022- Governor Larry Hogan requested an earlier online launch of September 8th to tie in with the NFL season start date, but the SWARC rejected the request
• June 10th, 2022- Maryland’s retail sportsbooks traded $23.1 million during April. FanDuel’s retail location at Live! Casino took $10.9 million of the wagers. 

Is Sports Betting Legal in Maryland Right Now? 

Right now, sports betting in Maryland is legal! But, only in person. The first retail sportsbook in the state opened back in December 2021 and Marylanders have loved every second of it. The voters approved legal sports betting back in November 2020 with the state legislators passing the bill for wagering in April 2021. 

Online sports betting in Maryland is still a no-go but this could change in the near future. There are no legal options in the state, only illegal offshore sites operate in Maryland- we advise you to stay away from these pages.

Marylanders love their sport and their state has seen massive revenues from the sports betting industry. When online sports betting inevitably drops, the industry will be huge. The people will love it, the only issue is the lack of mobile gambling experience in the state. Make sure to check out some HowToBet guides before jumping in with online sports betting in Maryland.

Which Sports Betting Operators Might Come to Maryland?

The state of Maryland currently offers retail sports betting with five active locations. These being: 

Maryland is in good hands when it comes to the retail scene, but which operators will we see come into the online sports betting frame in Maryland? These five will certainly be there:

BetMGM Sportsbook 

BetMGM is one of the finest sportsbooks the gambling world has to offer. They are truly a giant in the industry. They already have a retail sportsbook in business in the state of Maryland, more specifically at National Harbor. So you could pay them a visit and learn a bit more about what they have to offer before their mobile app becomes available in the state. 

Caesars Sportsbook

Formerly known as William Hill, Caesars have certainly stamped their authority on the gambling world. They have a retail location in Maryland, the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. They are known for their amazing bonus offers, particularly when you sign up. 

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings is a household name in Maryland and has been for a long time. This is because of their highly popular fantasy sports program. They have a partnership with the Baltimore Ravens already, you can bet that DraftKings will be among the first names to launch in Maryland. 

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel has been around in the state of Maryland for a while, thanks to its DFS service. They are already taking wagers at the Live! Casino in Hanover. We can expect that its sportsbook app will follow shortly after online sports betting goes live in Maryland. Their app is sleek and simple to use with an excellent promotions tab to keep you up to date with all the bonuses they have to offer. 

PointsBet Sportsbook

PointsBet is an Australian sportsbook that has staked its claim on the US gambling industry. PointsBet already has ties with the state of Maryland too, they have a partnership with both Riverboat on the Potomac and the University of Maryland. PointsBet is known for its signature wager: ‘PointsBetting’.

What should you know before betting on sports in Maryland?

Marylanders, sports betting isn’t in your state yet, but before the day comes, let us help you learn how to bet on sports.

How to sign up for Sports Betting in Maryland

When Maryland online sports betting launches, there will be a plethora of sportsbook options to choose from. Whichever you choose, the sign-up process will be pretty simple! In-fact, it's almost exactly the same process: 

1. First you’ll need to select your chosen sportsbook and download their app
2. Next you’ll need to register for an account with the given sportsbook. (you’ll need proof of ID and address)
3. Next you’ll need to make your first deposit, simply connect a payment method and add some funds you’re willing to lose.
4. Finally, you’re in. You’ve got the whole sportsbook in front of you with a verified account and some cash. Time to place that bet, before you do that- check out some more HowToBet guides! 
5. Keep check of yourself, set spend limits and never gamble when you’re in a bad mood. With great power comes great responsibility. 

Types of Sports Betting in Maryland

There are a lot of different betting types, we won’t go through all of them here but we will take you through some of the most popular. 

• Points Spread- A Points Spread bet refers to betting on the margin a team will win by. The favorite is designated by a minus and a plus indicates the underdog. If a team is priced at -5.5, they must win by more than 5.5 for your bet to come in. 
• Moneyline- By far the simplest bet to understand, this is simply choosing the team you think will win. For example: if you choose the Lakers and they win then you win, if they lose, you lose. Simple, right?
• Over/Under- Over and under is exactly what it sounds like. You’re simply choosing whether you think the total of something in the game, for example three-pointers, will be over or under the sportsbooks number. 
• Parlay- A parlay bet or accumulator is a bet that rides on multiple bets all coming in. This is very desirable as you are able to make big money from low stakes. For example: 

• Manchester United Moneyline (-210)
• Los Angeles Lakers Moneyline (-155) 
• Cristiano Ronaldo to score twice (+650) 
• Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 (-110)
• Casemiro to make 3.5+ tackles (-105) 

This would combine to return more than $600 from just a $10 stake. 

• Prop Bets- Propositional bets or prop bets are bets that do not focus on the result of the game. The most popular type of prop is a player prop. An example of this would be: Giannis Antetokounmpo to make the first three of the game. 

If you'd like more information on bet types and how to read odds, check out one of our more in depth guides!

Most Popular Sports To Bet on in Maryland

You will have the option to bet on a lot of different competitions and leagues when sports betting in Maryland. 

• NFL- The NFL will be by far the most popular league in Maryland sports betting. The state of Maryland is home to the Baltimore Ravens. The NFL is the most popular league in the country and Maryland loves football. 
• NBA- NBA sports betting in Maryland will also be massively popular.. The NBA has plenty of markets to bet on and is a popular league to bet on all over the world. 
• MLB- The baseball season's massive length gives the sport a great advantage when talking about the sports betting market share. There comes a point in time every year when the vast majority's main gambling sport is baseball and the MLB, this is due to the other league seasons finishing. The Baltimore Orioles are also very popular in the state of Maryland.
• College Sport- College sport is massive in the gambling world. There will be plenty of college football betting options available in Maryland. We also have March Madness which might be happening just as online sports betting in Maryland is legalized.

Banking Options for Sports Betting in Maryland

At launch there will be some great banking options in Maryland. The more options, for bettors the better. Here are all of the options available at legal US sportsbooks. We will see most of these in Maryland:

• PayPal
• Skrill
• VIP Preferred ACH eCheck
• Play+ branded prepaid card
• Visa/Mastercard/Discover
• Online banking
• PayNearMe
• Cash at the casino cage
• Paper checks mailed to your home address
• Wire transfer

Types of bonuses and promotions we could see in Maryland

When sports betting in Maryland officially launches, we will see plenty of bonuses and promotions put out by sportsbooks. They will all be fighting for customers and will offer you some great incentives to get you in the door. 

• No deposit bonus- A no deposit bonus is a bonus that you are granted for simply registering. Otherwise known as a welcome bonus. They usually come in the form of free betting credits. 
• Deposit bonuses- These bonuses are granted once you deposit a certain amount of cash. The sportsbook usually matches your first deposit up to a certain amount. 
• Risk-free bets- Risk free bets are similar to deposit bonuses. You place your first bet and if it loses you are refunded with cash or the equivalent betting credits. 
• Odds boosts- Odds boosts are when the sportsbook will manually inflate the odds on certain markets to make them more desirable.