Maryland Lists Legal and Known Illegal Operators

Maryland Lottery and Gaming, an organization tasked with overseeing the gambling market in the Free State, has published a list of all licensed operators. In addition to that, it also published a list of all unlicensed gaming companies that have been ordered to halt their operations in Maryland.

Betting and DFS Are the Only Legal Online Gaming

In its official release, Maryland Lottery and Gaming issued a reminder that sports betting and online fantasy competitions offered by companies with an official license are the only legal gaming options in the state.

The regulator emphasized that online casinos and other types of online gaming or wagering are not permitted and that operators offering such products are in breach of the law.

Since there are still players who are not entirely familiar with the Maryland regulatory framework, Marland Lottery and Gaming decided to list all legal providers of sports betting and daily fantasy sports.

In addition to that, the regulator also published a list of unlicensed companies that have been ordered to halt their operations in the state.

Licensed Online Sports Betting Operators

As reported by Maryland Lottery and Gaming, the licensed online wagering platforms in the Free State are the following:

• Bally Bet Sportsbook
• BetMGM
• betParx
• BetRivers
• Caesars Sportsbook
• Crab Sports
• DraftKings
• ESPNBet
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• FanDuel
• LetsBetMD

The aforementioned sites are legally authorized to operate in Maryland and offer sports betting products to local audiences.

Licensed Daily Fantasy Sports Operators

As mentioned, Maryland Lottery and Gaming also published a list of all licensed online fantasy competition operators, which include the following:

• AthStat
• DataForce Fantasy Football
• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• Fantasy Football Player’s Championship
• FastDraft
• FullTime Fantasy
• GullyCricket
• Knockout Fantasy Sports
• OwnersBox
• RealTime Fantasy Sports
• Splash Sports
• SportsHub
• Underdog Sports
• Yahoo Fantasy Sports

Just like the previously listed sports betting operators, these platforms have been officially authorized by state authorities.

Illegal Operators Customers Should Avoid

Conversely, Maryland Lottery and Gaming mentioned a number of sites that lack a license in the state and cannot operate legally. These platforms’ owners have been sent cease-and-desist letters, ordering them to halt their local operations.

The list of such sites includes the following:

• Bet US
• BetAnySports
• BetNow.eu
• Esport Newco (Blitz-Win Cash; Pool Blitz-Win Cash; Pool Blitz-Win; Bingo-Win Cash; Match3-Win Cash)
• Everygame
• Fortune Coins
• Golden Hearts
• High Entertainment (High 5 Casino)
• McLuck
• Rebet
• SlotsandCasino
• Stake.us
• VGW (Chumba Casino; Luckyland Slots)
• Zula

According to Marland Lottery and Gaming, this list includes only the websites it has sent cease-and-desist orders to and is not a comprehensive list of all unlicensed operators targeting the Maryland market. Because of that, people should refer to the previous two lists when choosing a platform to play with.

Maryland Lottery and Gaming added that it periodically contacts operators of unlicensed gaming, asking them to confirm that they are not operating illegally or to cease their activities. A full list of cease-and-desist orders sent by the regulator is available on its official website.

Maryland Tackles Sweepstakes

The latest cease-and-desist order issued in Maryland was against sweepstakes operator VGW. The regulator argued that the operator’s products constituted illegal gaming and that it must pull out from the market.

Sweepstakes remain a controversial grey-area gaming format that is still neither legal nor illegal in many markets. Although a few have called for the legalization and taxation of such products, most states’ policy so far has been to push back against the sector.