Legislation to legalize online gambling in the state of Maryland has returned for the beginning of the state’s 2025 session as pro-gambling legislators seek to bring the Old Line State into a new era of Internet gaming.
Maryland’s new House Bill 17 (HB17) was pre-filed for 2025 and has already been sent to the Maryland House of Delegates’Â Ways and Means Committee. That committee is chaired by the bill’s sponsor, Vanessa Atterbeary, which translates to early consideration for the measure, as it’s already been scheduled for an initial committee hearing on February 10.
2025’s House Bill 15 is new in nomenclature but already a familiar topic for Maryland’s legislature to consider. It’s actually a refiling of 2024’s House Bill 1319, which received plenty of attention last year. Maryland perhaps came the closest of all US states to becoming the ninth US state to legalize some form of online casino-style gaming. Last year’s HB1319 passed through several committees and received approval from the entire Maryland House before faltering in the state’s Senate.
Referendum possible
In 2024, online gambling’s leading proponent in Maryland’s Senate, Ron Watson, proposed the passage of a bill sending the matter to a public referendum. Watson had submitted two bills as possible iGaming efforts as parallels to the more successful state House efforts, but he was unable to muster sufficient Senate support. As a last gasp, he proposed the referendum option as a solution, but time ran out for the year’s legislative session.
For 2025, the refiled online-gambling measure already includes the call to send the matter to a statewide vote. Whether that soothes some of the more conservative voices in Maryland’s Senate remains to be seen, but the change in tactics is designed to appeal to popular demand.
When added to the expected economic benefits, the bill’s supporters hope the 2025 version is the successful combination. “We’ve seen other states significantly boost their economies with online gaming,” said Rep. Atterbeary, after submitting HB17. “This legislation will bring Maryland into the future while providing critical funding for education and other essential services.”