MLS fans in Maryland have been able to wager on their favourite soccer team ever since 2021, thanks to a state referendum in 2020, but it took another few years for online betting to be introduced. The Old Line State has a history of cautious acceptance when it comes to gambling, and they lived up to that reputation with a slow but steady relaxation of sports betting rules.
Maryland actually has an interesting history when it comes to betting, being home to one of the oldest sporting organizations in the US: the Maryland Jockey Club. This was founded in 1743, so betting on horse racing was deemed acceptable here as far back as the 18th century. MLS and soccer would come later, but the concept of betting is deep rooted in Maryland.
Like many other states, moral and religious changes meant that most gambling was made illegal in the 19th century, but horse racing was brought back in the 1930s and 40s, while in 1973, the Maryland State Lottery was introduced. It wasn’t until 2008 that a state referendum led to the introduction of slots casinos, but by then, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992 had long been in place, so they were unable to consider sports betting.
However, that all changed when PASPA was repealed in 2018, leaving each state to handle their own gambling laws.
Legal Sports Betting in Maryland
Legalizing sports betting was discussed early in Maryland, but they couldn’t actually do much about it until 2020 since they had to wait for the next election. Maryland constitution stipulates that state wide referendums can only take place during an election. So the delay was down to a technicality rather than a lack of support.
Several bills were introduced but lawmakers struggled to agree on licensing structures and revenue distribution, so eventually, the whole thing was stripped down to a yes or no question for the referendum, with the details to be ironed out after the result. On the day, 67% of voters backed the move to legalize sports betting, but lawmakers then spent months debating how to make the new market fair and inclusive.
The result was HB 940, passed in 2021, which created one of the nation’s most open frameworks, allowing up to 60 mobile and 30 retail licences to ensure opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. That focus on equity slowed the rollout but shaped Maryland’s uniquely inclusive sports betting system. It also means that, despite being a fairly small state, the online betting market in the Old Line State is potentially huge.
Betting Rules
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission oversees all sports betting regulation, while the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) awards licenses:
- Retail sportsbook licenses: $50,000 fee
- Mobile sportsbook licenses: $500,000 fee
- Retail tax: 15% of gross revenue
- Mobile tax: 20% of gross revenue (it was originally 15% but was increased in 2025)
So it’s not the cheapest place for operators to take bets, but Maryland is a very densely populated state, and they like a bet. To give you an idea, in September 2025 alone, Marylanders wagered around $651 million on MLS and other sports. Via taxes, sports betting makes the state roughly $10-$15 million per month which is spent on education and public funds.
As with everywhere else, punters must be at least 21 years old and by physically inside the state to use state licensed online betting apps. Geolocation is used to make sure this law is obeyed.
MLS Teams in Maryland
Although Marylanders don’t technically have an MLS team to call their own, they are very close to one.
DC United is of course located in Washington D.C, which is slap bang in the middle of Maryland and Virginia, but not technically part of either state. However, for anyone living close by that border doesn’t mean much, so DC United would be the local team for a large number of Marylanders. Philadelphia Union is the next closest club, but even those at the farthest edges of the state would need a pretty good reason to give their support to the Union over DC.
Soccer is a popular sport in Maryland in general, so it’s likely that there are a lot of MLS fans living there. Lower league teams like the Maryland Bobcats and Annapolis Blues FC get plenty of support too. It’s a soccer rich state.
At youth level especially, soccer is a very big deal here. That translates up to college soccer too, with the University of Maryland having a nationally respected team that has won the NCAA championships several times. This all explains why Maryland has produced so much footballing talent: Jeff Agoos, Kyle Beckerman, and Zack Steffen are all Marylanders who went on to have great careers in Major League Soccer and the USMT, and there are many more besides.
So you can be sure that plenty of money is wagered on MLS in Maryland now that it is legal to do so.